Chapter 785: Evil Transformation

Roaring… Like countless divine thunderbolts exploding across the sky, more and more black stones, tempered for ten thousand years within the dark aura, were utterly pulverized and then swept into a violent torrent of profound energy. Fiery light scattered everywhere, darkness permeated the air, and the tremor within the Demon Imperial Hall of Slaughtering Moon barely ceased for an instant.

The human and the demon had been locked in a fierce battle for an unknown duration. Their bodies bore countless wounds, yet the power they unleashed remained earth-shattering. Yun Che had faced innumerable life-and-death struggles across his two lives, but never had a battle been so prolonged and so devastating.

Regarding profound energy, while Yun Che had reached the highest echelons of the Profound Sky Continent, many individuals within the Four Great Sacred Grounds still surpassed him. However, when it came to endurance and recovery, he was undeniably the foremost in the Profound Sky Continent.

Months prior, when he fought Fen Juechen, Yun Che was unaware of Hong'er's ability to suppress his strength. His planned strategy was to exhaust Fen Juechen using his own extraordinary recovery capabilities. Yet now, he faced an opponent who matched him precisely in endurance and regenerative power: the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon, with his demonic physique!

After battling for several hours, their every move remained lethal, but both their strength and speed had noticeably diminished. The extent of their decline was roughly equivalent, preventing either from gaining a clear upper hand.

Boom!! The Heaven Smiting Sword clashed with the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's demonic claws in mid-air, unleashing another deafening thunderclap. Vast quantities of pulverized black stone fragments billowed up, shrouding the entire Demon Imperial Hall of Slaughtering Moon in a grey haze. Around them, the dark aura and Golden Crow flames spun, tore, and consumed each other madly, like two ferocious beasts locked in a mortal feud.

Bang!! The already deeply sunken ground beneath their feet cracked even further, while the stone wall above them developed a colossal, bowl-shaped indent. At that moment, the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's demonic claws, which had been gripping Yun Che's heavy sword, suddenly parted. With a furious roar, ten long, sharp fingers, resembling skeletal talons, unleashed ten streaks of pitch-black profound light directly at Yun Che's chest.

Yun Che's body subconsciously recoiled, yet his sheer willpower forcibly suppressed this instinctive reaction. He neither instantly evaded nor swung his sword back in defense. Instead, he channeled all his protective profound energy into his arm and, as his pupils sharply constricted, he slammed his sword into the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's chest. The immense power of this single strike instantly caused the space within ten zhang to collapse.

“Boom!” The Heaven Smiting Sword's brilliant edge violently swept across the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's chest, "crunching" as it directly shattered the largest demonic bone there into multiple fragments and sent his demonic body hurtling a hundred zhang away. Simultaneously, all ten streaks of dark demonic energy from the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon plunged into Yun Che's body, blacking out his vision and causing him to stumble backward violently, yet his hands remained clamped tightly around the vermillion greatsword, refusing to release it.

A shrill scream pierced the air. The Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's chest was branded with the longest vermillion sword scar he had ever sustained, inflicting unprecedented pain and severe damage. The heavy sword's power, surging through the vermillion scar, violently flooded his demonic body, wantonly ravaging his physique and already weakened life source.

Meanwhile, Yun Che had collapsed to the ground and remained there for a long time. The ten streaks of dark demonic energy that had pierced his body felt like ten demonic awls from the Nine Netherworld Springs, corroding his flesh, meridians, and internal organs, inflicting excruciating pain upon every part of his body, even his very soul. Yet, his lips remained tightly sealed; not a single whimper of agony escaped him.

“Hold your breath immediately! Purify it with Phoenix Flame power, and annihilate it with Evil God profound energy!” Jasmine said with a grim tone. “You are truly reckless! That is the aura of a true demon; once it enters your body, it cannot be neutralized by ordinary profound energy! If you didn't possess Evil God profound energy, coupled with the purifying power of the Phoenix Flame, you’d be half-dead!”

Yun Che gritted his teeth and quickly calmed his mind. Phoenix Flame rapidly ignited within him, and he used Evil God profound energy to completely envelop the ten streaks of dark demonic aura. Soon, all ten demonic auras were fully sealed and then neutralized by the combined might of Phoenix Flame and Evil God profound energy. Yun Che leaned forward, spitting out a large mouthful of black blood. Instantly, his entire body felt unblocked, and his five senses cleared, though his aura had weakened by yet another degree.

The Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon, however, was clearly in a far more dire state. Yun Che had risked enduring ten demonic attacks to deliver an exceptionally heavy sword strike. The Demon Monarch's agonizing scream confirmed that Yun Che had undoubtedly gained the upper hand! Although the Demon Monarch had managed to stand up, a vermillion glow emanated from his chest, revealing a hole clearly the size of an adult's head. Black blood poured from within, and fractured, pitch-black bones were distinctly visible. The Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon was now forcibly suppressing his screams, but his uncontrollable full-body tremors betrayed the immense pain he was suffering. Yet, the horror in his heart was tenfold greater than his physical anguish!

“You… who exactly are you?!!” Seeing Yun Che, who had absorbed ten of his demonic attacks, stand up so swiftly with an incredibly stable aura, the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon’s pupils dilated. He pressed both hands against the gaping hole in his chest, every finger trembling: “You are not human… who exactly are you?!!” His voice trembled with fear. Even he himself was suddenly aware of the terror that had seized him.

He had initially believed he had stumbled upon a human seeking death. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine encountering a monster among humans! How could such a humble human body possess such vitality and regenerative power… especially while constantly exposed to a life-devouring dark aura? The sword in his hand was even more terrifying than any he had witnessed in ancient times! Not even when facing the true Demon Punishing Sword back then had his will trembled so uncontrollably.

“My name is Yun Che, an utterly ordinary person!” Yun Che slowly advanced towards the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon. “Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon! The age of gods and demons has long passed! You should not have existed in this world for the past million years! Today, even if it weren't for the Underworld Brahma Flower, I would still have to put an end to you!”

“Put an end to this king? You?!” The Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon gritted his teeth. Never in his life had he conceived that his most desperate moment would be at the hands of a mere human! Endless rage and humiliation consumed his already dwindling sanity. Suddenly, he let out a furious roar, his entire body shrouded in a layer of dark black mist, while the crimson-black demonic patterns across his chest and back simultaneously emitted a profound, blood-like radiance.

“Arrogant, ignorant, and lowly human… I shall show you the true might of the demon race! For you to even dream of defeating me… it’s utter madness!!”

The blood-red demonic patterns writhed, gradually contorting into rows of strange runes. His hair lengthened, and bone-cracking sounds, like collapsing mountains, emanated from his body. His muscles suddenly swelled, his limbs almost instantaneously doubling in thickness, covered in blood-red meridians twisting like earthworms. A low, pained roar rumbled in the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's throat as his entire body contorted like a dying serpent. Pitch-black scales materialized from his flesh, rapidly covering his torso, while a layer of ghastly white bone armor grew over his arms and legs, as if his very bones had erupted from his skin to encase his muscles.

This horrifying and grotesque transformation startled Yun Che, immediately halting his steps. At the same time, he distinctly felt the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's aura surging dramatically, becoming even more sinister and savage.

“It’s a transformation!” Jasmine’s voice, while filled with surprise, held more caution. “Ancient demons are fundamentally capable of transformation. This isn't merely a change in form as you understand it; rather, it's a physical alteration to achieve a more potent release and control of their power. Once transformed, their full strength is unleashed, but the strain and consumption on their body also increase dramatically. They typically only assume this full power state during intense contests or battles to the death! Some are even capable of multiple transformations.”

A pair of chillingly gleaming teeth extended from the corners of the Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon's mouth, resembling wolf fangs and still flashing with a dazzling cold light in the pitch-black darkness. Grotesque bone spikes simultaneously protruded from his elbows and knees. Finally, a blood-red moon symbol distinctly appeared on his chest! This was the unique mark of him, the King of the Everlasting Night Demon Race! In ancient times, this symbol alone could command the submission of ten thousand demons, yet now, it had been forced out by a mere human!

His fury and power aura were surging wildly. The swirling dark energy transformed into a tempestuous gale that completely stole Yun Che's breath. Incredibly heavy pressure assailed him from all directions, making his chest feel as if it would shatter and his spine almost buckle. “His power… it increased so much all at once!!” Yun Che, who had planned to launch a forceful attack during the Demon Monarch's transformation, was instead pushed back step by step by the surging demonic aura. He braced himself with both hands, a look of profound astonishment on his face.

Jasmine, however, let out a faint, cold laugh. “The Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon must never have dreamed you could force him to transform! The current Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon is a far cry from his ancient self! Given his severely incomplete soul, this transformed state won't last long and will undoubtedly exact a heavy toll! Otherwise, he wouldn't have been forced into this desperate transformation now!” Jasmine, from within the Sky Poison Pearl, furrowed her brow before making a decision. “In his current state, it's ill-advised to engage him head-on. You should instead use Star God Broken Shadow and Phantom Light Thunderclap to maneuver around him! However, this place is confined and narrow, making that almost impossible!” She continued, “Use your Profound Handle! While it will intensify your energy consumption and might not guarantee a direct confrontation against the transformed Demon Monarch of Slaughtering Moon, at the very least… he won’t find it easy to overwhelm you within the duration of his transformation!”

“Understood!” Yun Che nodded, slightly adjusting his sword grip, shifting his lead arm from right to left.