Chapter 1661: Complete Defeat

Upon Chi Wuyao's words, Ji Daopian's expression abruptly stiffened, and the faces of all the Moon Eaters changed dramatically.

In the Northern Divine Region, the Moon Eaters, Yama Devils, and Devil Maidens are all beings whose status is second only to God Emperors. They are revered by all beings across the realms; to offend them is to defy heavenly authority.

Only the Three Emperors of the Northern Region hold the slight qualification to look down upon them.

Had these words not come from the Devil Queen herself, anyone audacious enough to utter them would surely have met their end on the spot.

The Burning Moon God Emperor's smile completely faded, and he frowned slightly. "Devil Queen, what do you mean by that? Could it be... that you consider this adopted son of mine to be of mediocre aptitude?"

"Oh?" Chi Wuyao, with an even more bewildered expression, retorted, "Burning Moon God Emperor, do you actually find this child's aptitude acceptable? Could it be that over the years, you've not only exhausted your body but also your mind on women?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Despite Chi Wuyao's almost humiliating taunt, the Burning Moon God Emperor burst into laughter. He sensed that Chi Wuyao was likely trying to provoke him, so he deliberately chose not to be angered.

"It's been many years, and the Devil Queen has become quite fond of jesting," the Burning Moon God Emperor said, leaning back. His gaze intentionally or unintentionally flickered towards the Devil Maiden Chan Yi, who stood silently behind Chi Wuyao.

"Devil Queen, your demonic might is boundless; it seems no one in this world can truly impress you. However... Daopian received the Burning Moon Divine Power around the same time you recruited your new Ninth Devil Maiden. Yet, his cultivation is slightly higher."

"If Daopian's aptitude is considered mediocre, then wouldn't the devil maidens under your command be even more unremarkable? Is the Devil Queen's remark perhaps a deliberate self-mockery?"

The Burning Moon God Emperor's calm, unangered words immediately quelled the indignation in the Moon Eaters' hearts. Their gazes toward Chi Wuyao now held less awe and more mockery.

It was rumored that the Soul Stealing Devil Queen was terrifying, like a fiend, feared by all. Yet, seeing her now, she appeared to be "lifting a rock only to drop it on her own feet" just to mock others.

She was nothing more than that.

Chi Wuyao smiled faintly. "If we're talking about jesting, I readily admit defeat before the Burning Moon God Emperor. What do aptitude and cultivation have to do with each other? Although my Chan Yi cannot claim peerless talent, she is far beyond comparison to this newly adopted, unrelated child of yours."

Before the Burning Moon God Emperor could speak, Ji Daopian abruptly raised his eyes and said, "Your Highness the Devil Queen, I respect you as a senior and dare not be disrespectful. However, as a Moon Eater, even if you are the Devil Queen, you cannot maliciously humiliate or trample upon us!"

As a Moon Eater, and within Burning Moon Royal City, he had the right to confront her with firmness, even when facing the Devil Queen.

Chi Wuyao's charming eyes shifted slightly, and a hint of scorn appeared on her lips. "Maliciously humiliate or trample? Are you even worthy?"

"Chan Yi." She suddenly commanded, speaking slowly, "This is your first time setting foot in the Burning Moon Realm. Since you're here, you might as well spar with this newly appointed Moon Eater and teach him a thing or two about 'aptitude'!"

"Yes, Master."

Chan Yi acknowledged the command and stepped forward, standing before Ji Daopian.

The air in the main hall slightly solidified, and all gazes became exceptionally astonished.

Of the seven Moon Eaters present, all except Ji Daopian were Level Nine Divine Masters. They immediately saw that this newly appointed Devil Maiden's profound cultivation was at the mid-stage of Level Eight Divine Master, while Ji Daopian was at the late-stage of Level Eight Divine Master.

Although both were Level Eight Divine Masters, at the late-stage of the Divine Master Realm, a difference of half a minor realm was almost impossible to overcome.

As Moon Eaters and Devil Maidens exist on the same level, the demonic arts they cultivated were also difficult to distinguish in terms of superiority. Therefore, the word "almost" could be omitted. The strength of their dark profound energy could directly determine who was stronger or weaker, and thus the victor.

Therefore, if they truly engaged in combat, Devil Maiden Chan Yi would have no chance of winning... let alone "teaching" him.

Was the Devil Queen mad, or was she deliberately looking for trouble?

Before Ji Daopian could respond, Nanhuang Chan Yi's golden sword was already drawn. Black mist permeated her body, and she released her full demonic might. "Please instruct me!" she said.

With the sword drawn, the Burning Moon side had no choice but to respond, and no reason not to. Ji Daopian narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the Burning Moon God Emperor.

The Burning Moon God Emperor stood up and said, "Very well. Since the Devil Queen has such an interest, Daopian, you shall spar with this outstanding Ninth Devil Maiden."

"Yes, Father!"

With a soft snort, Ji Daopian swept his arm across, and a colossal black halberd appeared diagonally in the air. The surging dark energy immediately caused the main hall to tremble, and in just a single breath, it forcefully devoured and extinguished most of Chan Yi's aura.

Fen Daozang and another Moon Eater left their seats and flew out, and an isolation barrier quickly formed, dividing the main hall in two.

"Since it's a spar, stop when appropriate," the Burning Moon God Emperor said with a smile, though his heart was far from at ease.

He had repeatedly confirmed Devil Maiden Chan Yi's aura; it was indeed at the mid-stage of Level Eight Divine Master, beyond doubt. He was intimately familiar with Ji Daopian's strength. If they truly fought, Ji Daopian had no chance of losing.

However, the Devil Queen he knew would absolutely not do something that would clearly be a disadvantage and willingly make herself look bad. Then, only one possibility remained.

Seize the opportunity to act out!

Ji Daopian was clearly enraged. In his anger, he would unleash his full power to defeat the Ninth Devil Maiden as quickly as possible and humiliate the Devil Queen. However, in doing so, the Ninth Devil Maiden might be injured.

Chi Wuyao could then use this as an excuse to cause trouble.

With this thought in mind, the Burning Moon God Emperor transmitted a soul message to Ji Daopian: "Remember, do not harm her!"

Qianye Ying'er cast a cold glance at the Burning Moon God Emperor. A God Emperor, the highest level of existence in this world, truly looking down upon all beings, truly invincible and uninhibited. In such a situation, if it were any other God Emperor, they would surely be laughing wildly and taking the opportunity to mock.

However, this Burning Moon God Emperor, who clearly held an absolute advantage in the situation, had eyes filled with caution and hesitation.

It was simply a disgrace to God Emperors.

However...

How could one who could become a God Emperor be a simple person?

Everyone has their own way of doing things and interacting with the world, and God Emperors are no different. If one dares to underestimate an existence like a God Emperor, they likely wouldn't even know how they died.

The moment Qianye Ying'er withdrew her gaze, she suddenly felt a cold glint flash over her body.

That instant of dark majesty caused Qianye Ying'er's brow to suddenly furrow.

Although it was only for an extremely brief moment, it allowed Qianye Ying'er to clearly perceive that the Burning Moon God Emperor's strength absolutely surpassed Xing Juekong and the former Yue Wuya... and was even comparable to Zhou Xuzi.

Inside the barrier, Ji Daopian moved.

He offered no elaborate courtesies. The moment his great halberd swung, it was like a dragon emerging from a chasm, unleashing surging dark demonic brilliance that instantly filled the entire world within the barrier.

Even outside the barrier, a heavy, sky-covering pressure suddenly descended.

He was the youngest Moon Eater in history, the first adopted son taken in by the Burning Moon God Emperor as an exception, and he inherently possessed strong dignity and pride.

Before the Burning Moon God Emperor, under the watchful eyes of everyone, facing a Soul Stealing Devil Maiden clearly weaker than him, how could he possibly lose!

Chan Yi's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her slender waist subtly twisted. The sword in her hand, trailing a golden shadow, darted out, colliding with the colossal halberd that was smashing towards her.

Boom!

Ripples spread across the barrier, vibrating for a long time.

The insurmountable realm difference, coupled with demonic remnants and demonic arts of the same level, made the result of the power collision obvious. Chan Yi, like a butterfly in the wind, was sent flying far away. The residual force of the great halberd was absorbed and resisted layer by layer by her Devil Maiden domain, and her body quickly regained balance.

But in the very first exchange, she was already directly on the absolute defensive.

Ji Daopian swiftly lunged forward, imbued with dark demonic light. The great halberd in his hand bent into a crescent moon, then, with terrifying force, it whipped towards Chan Yi's slender, willow-like waist.

Boom!Boom!Boom!!

In a battle between Divine Masters, even through the barrier, one could feel the earth-shattering power.

The battle's outcome was decided from the start. Devil Maiden Chan Yi, with her weaker cultivation, could initially offer some resistance, but as time passed, her disadvantages became apparent. Under Ji Daopian's wide-sweeping great halberd, she had no strength left to retaliate and was entirely on the defensive.

As her Devil Maiden domain was gradually destroyed and shrunk, even her defensive stance was gradually approaching collapse.

"Hehehe," the Burning Moon God Emperor let out a long laugh and said, "Devil Queen, I have already witnessed the 'aptitude' you wished to display for me. How about we stop here?"

Such a timely withdrawal; if one didn't sufficiently understand the Burning Moon God Emperor, they would certainly believe him to be a gentle, amiable, magnanimous, benevolent, and peace-loving individual.

Chi Wuyao smiled faintly and calmly said, "Burning Moon God Emperor, it seems you've spoken a bit too soon."

No sooner had Chi Wuyao's words fallen than the situation in the barrier sharply changed.

Having been suppressed and forced to retreat steadily, Chan Yi, whose Devil Maiden domain was on the verge of collapsing, suddenly forcefully switched from defense to offense. The power of her domain instantly gathered before her, directly meeting Ji Daopian's destructive great halberd.

Such an action seemed like a forced counterattack before complete collapse; everyone in the hall could already foresee the scene of Devil Maiden Chan Yi being severely injured and sent flying.

Only the Burning Moon God Emperor's gaze sharply narrowed.

Because the speed at which Devil Maiden Chan Yi gathered her domain power was simply extraordinary.

The Divine Master's power violently collided head-on, and Devil Maiden Chan Yi's upper body leaned back, her figure rapidly retreating. Her power was shattered, and her profound energy should have been in disarray or briefly out of control.

But, her figure slightly steadied, and dark profound light actually shone forth from her body once more. A dark lotus quickly blossomed before her, directly covering Ji Daopian, who was pursuing her.

This scene, which defied the common understanding of darkness, caught Ji Daopian, who had held the absolute advantage just moments before, completely off guard. Though surprised, he remained unperturbed, and his momentum didn't falter. His great halberd swung horizontally, directly scattering the dark lotus, but at that very moment, his pupils sharply contracted.

Devil Maiden Chan Yi's figure was still retreating, but where her jade palm pointed, three dark lotuses astonishingly blossomed and surged forward. Each dark lotus released a dark aura no weaker than the previous one.

?! As a Moon Eater who wielded the Burning Moon Divine Power and possessed the highest understanding of darkness, Ji Daopian was actually stunned for a moment in the midst of this intense battle.

In the main hall, all the Moon Eaters' expressions drastically changed, and the Burning Moon God Emperor... he unconsciously took half a step forward.

Compared to Ji Daopian, they saw even more clearly: Devil Maiden Chan Yi, while her power was shattered and her body was imbalanced, could astonishingly condense three dark lotuses with just a flick of her hand!

The dark great halberd thrust out horizontally, and instantly, demonic light surged like a roaring evil dragon, rapidly piercing through the three dark lotuses and scattering countless dark fragments.

As the dark lotuses shattered, the demonic light on the great halberd also dimmed significantly. At this moment, Devil Maiden Chan Yi had already closed in, the black glow on her sword intertwined with streaks of golden patterns, abruptly stabbing towards Ji Daopian.

Sword and halberd clashed, and black sparks scattered everywhere. This time, Ji Daopian, whose momentum was not sustained, trembled violently all over, his figure rapidly retreating, and his face showed a momentary look of astonishment.

But before he could even catch his breath, the sword's gleam had already streaked directly before him again. It was clearly an immediate follow-up, yet its power had not weakened in the slightest compared to before!

Devil Maiden Chan Yi swung her sword with her left hand and condensed a lotus with her right. One sword strike shook open Ji Daopian's great halberd, and the dark lotus heavily struck his body, causing his protective domain to severely indent and a momentary grimace to appear on his face.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang—

Devil Maiden Chan Yi's incredibly strange changes were not fleeting but instead grew more intense. Her sword strikes were extremely fast, like a raging storm. And this in itself was not particularly unusual...

What was utterly illogical was that the dark power carried by her every sword strike was incredibly domineering and did not diminish with her rapid, storm-like attacks. Furthermore, as her attacks continued, her previously shrinking Devil Maiden domain slowly expanded again, growing larger and larger, steadily suppressing Ji Daopian's constantly shrinking domain.

All six Moon Eaters stood up, their expressions varied. The Burning Moon God Emperor could no longer conceal the astonishment on his face.

Dark profound energy was a powerful but unruly beast; this was a fundamental common knowledge in the Northern Divine Region since its existence.

But on Devil Maiden Chan Yi, dark profound energy was astonishingly docile, like flowing water. The speed at which she condensed, released, and retracted her power reached a level that even he, a God Emperor of the Northern Region, could not comprehend... even to the point of horror.

He suddenly turned his gaze to Chi Wuyao and Yun Che but found that their auras showed no fluctuations whatsoever, as if all of this was the most normal and ordinary thing.

On the battlefield, Ji Daopian was steadily retreating, while Devil Maiden Chan Yi's attacks were continuous, like mercury flowing across the ground. Before Ji Daopian could even catch his breath, Devil Maiden Chan Yi's next wave of dark power fiercely attacked.

With a dull thud, Ji Daopian's numb right arm was violently knocked open by Chan Yi's sword, finally losing all sensation. The dark great halberd flew out of his hand, and her other hand forcefully pierced through Ji Daopian's already shaky protective domain, as a dark lotus mercilessly exploded on his chest.

Boom!

Amidst the loud boom, Ji Daopian's protective domain was instantly riddled with holes. His body flew backward, hitting the barrier heavily with his back. He swayed slightly when he landed, then stood firm, stubbornly swallowing back the rebellious blood that surged to his throat.

However, no matter how resolute and unyielding he appeared, the dark great halberd that had flown from his hand and his distinctly pale face clearly revealed his defeat.

Moreover... it could almost be called a crushing defeat.

Devil Maiden Chan Yi withdrew her sword and turned around. Without any visible movement from her, the surging Devil Maiden power instantly vanished without a trace.

This scene once again caused pairs of pupils to waver for a long time.

Ji Daopian stood rooted to the spot, trying to maintain an arrogant gaze and a resolute expression, but his eyes were dazed, seemingly unable to believe or accept that he had actually lost.

He, a Moon Eater, had been defeated by a Soul Stealing Devil Maiden whose cultivation realm was fundamentally inferior to his!

"This... is?" The Burning Moon God Emperor slowly turned his gaze. Anyone could clearly see the shock that even his dignity as a God Emperor could not entirely suppress.

"Have you seen clearly what aptitude is, Burning Moon God Emperor?"

Chi Wuyao held a jade cup, her snow-white slender fingers even more exquisite and radiant than the jade cup crafted from devil crystals. "It's one thing to have your body drained by women," she said, "but don't let your mind be emptied as well."