Chapter 787: Back Against the Wall

“Hahahahaha… hahahaha! Heaven helps this King, heaven helps this King!!”

The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch laughed wildly as he ran, his laughter more unrestrained and arrogant than ever before. The Netherworld Udumbara Flower bloomed only once every twenty-four years, making its blossoming the moment he yearned for most during that period. But this time, he was several times more excited than any previous occasion!

Consuming the Netherworld Udumbara Flower could not only repair his severely damaged soul source but also significantly restore his soul energy, vitality, and profound energy in a short time. Even the recovery of his injuries would be several times faster! Previously, these effects were useless to him, but now, they would completely twist his current and future destiny!

For the past few days, he had remained above the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, constantly staring at it, waiting for the moment it fully bloomed. Now, it had finally blossomed completely, like a gift from the heavens, blooming precisely when he needed it most.

By consuming this fully bloomed Netherworld Udumbara Flower, his dark profound energy could be largely restored in just twenty breaths of time! In his fierce battle with Yun Che, his situation was only slightly inferior, but this level of recovery would certainly allow him to completely overwhelm Yun Che.

“You *must* catch him!! If he consumes the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, you’re dead for sure!!” Jasmine’s voice was incredibly heavy and resentful. With her power, anywhere else, destroying the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch would only take an instant!

But here, she couldn’t even release her power, let alone leave Yun Che’s body!

Yun Che unleashed his profound energy to its fullest, clenching his teeth so hard they almost shattered, and pushed his Illusory Glazed Lightning to its absolute limit. In terms of profound energy consumption, he and the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch were roughly similar, but the Devil Monarch’s injuries were somewhat heavier. Combined with Yun Che’s inherent speed advantage, he rapidly closed the distance with the Devil Monarch at extreme velocity, forcefully narrowing the gap to only forty to fifty zhang in an instant.

However, being already injured both internally and externally, and now pushing his profound energy to its limit entirely for speed, his injuries not only failed to stabilize but rapidly worsened. In such a situation, he could no longer afford to care about these things.

He should... be able to catch up!!

Within a few breaths, he had surged deep into the Moon-Slaying Devil Cave. Yun Che was now less than thirty zhang from the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch, and the strange, crying-like sounds from the Netherworld Udumbara Flower grew clearer in his ears.

Jasmine suddenly realized something and exclaimed in surprise, “Wait! Don’t chase any further!!”

Just then, a dreamlike, netherworld purple light suddenly appeared before Yun Che’s eyes.

The previously slightly closed Netherworld Udumbara Flower had finally bloomed, its nine fully open petals arranged evenly in a circle, emitting an intensely deep, ethereal purple light. In the darkness, the purple glow obscured everything; the calyx, stamen, and swaying stem were all hidden from view. The nine petals seemed to float independently in the dark world, radiating a mysterious and dangerously alluring purple light.

As they registered in Yun Che’s pupils… it was as if he suddenly saw the eyes of nine demons!

The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch had already reached the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, roaring with even wilder laughter. He sensed Yun Che rapidly approaching from behind but did not turn back, a cold sneer twisting his blood-stained lips.

The world before Yun Che’s eyes suddenly transformed from darkness dotted with purple light into a pale landscape speckled with purple. Even the sounds around him abruptly fell silent… the roaring wind and thunder generated by his full-speed rush vanished without a trace.

Only the wailing sound of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower remained.

The entire world seemed to suddenly turn blank in an instant.

In the pale world, the purple light rapidly expanded, gradually threatening to engulf everything. The wailing sound also grew closer, clearer, and even more melodious… evolving from its initial eerie and chilling tone to a pleasant sound like celestial music.

The purple world, combined with the pleasant sounds, wove together an intoxicating, dreamlike realm. Within this dream, familiar scenes and faces appeared one after another. Cang Yue, Feng Xue’er, Xiao Lingxi, Xia Qingyue, Chu Yuechan, the Little Demon Empress… they emerged sequentially, each with the warmest, most beautiful smile on their face, their eyes, each more beautiful than the last, gently gazing at him before slowly fading into the distance within the purple world…

Further and further… blurrier and blurrier…

“Yun Che! Retreat immediately!!”

A sharp cry, like thunder, suddenly echoed through the purple world.

*Shatter!!*

The purple dream world instantly crumbled, all illusions vanished, and immense pain, like thousands of steel needles, pierced Yun Che’s soul, causing him to clutch his head and let out a painful shriek.

He felt as if countless dark hands were tearing at his soul, trying to rip all his memories, will, and beliefs… alive from his body!

He had experienced soul attacks and clashes countless times, but never before had one been so terrifying and cruel. The sensation of his soul being torn and ripped was colder and clearer than a blade cutting into his flesh… He had never known, nor even imagined, that a soul attack could be so horrifying!!

Under the agony and struggle of his soul, he almost completely lost control of his power and body. He instantly collapsed to his knees, his entire body trembling wildly, his forehead instantly covered in cold sweat.

And at that moment, he was still a full twenty zhang away from the Netherworld Udumbara Flower!!

“Retreat quickly!!”

Jasmine’s thunderous voice rang out again, allowing Yun Che’s soul to regain more clarity amidst the violent struggle. He let out a fierce roar, pouring all his will into gathering a burst of strength, and with an extremely contorted posture, desperately leaped backward.

*Thud!!*

Yun Che’s head hit the ground hard, and he rolled several times before finally coming to a stop. With that leap, he had moved back twenty to thirty zhang. The sensation of his soul being torn was still present, but it had weakened to a degree he could easily manage.

Yun Che propped himself up with his hands, gasping for breath. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and a rarely seen terror gathered in his pupils.

That was… the Netherworld Udumbara Flower’s soul-stripping ability!?

How could it be so terrifying… Why was it so terrifying!!

It was already this horrifying from such a distance! If he had gotten close enough to pick it… it was simply unimaginable!

How could something so terrifying exist in this world!

“Do you believe me now?” Jasmine said with a heavy expression. “Once the Netherworld Udumbara Flower fully blooms, its soul-capturing ability will be far more terrifying than you can imagine! It’s absolutely not something someone at your level can touch!!”

Yun Che didn’t reply to Jasmine. Instead, he abruptly looked up… Ahead, the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch was already standing before the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, his ashen face contorted in a triumphant, mocking sneer. He gazed greedily at the nine ethereal purple petals, reveling in the netherworld aura they exuded, and didn’t forget to send a wild scoff at the disheveled Yun Che: “Foolish, lowly human! You actually dare to contend with this King for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower… Hahahahaha…”

His wild laughter abruptly ceased. The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch’s face and voice filled with bone-deep rage and hatred: “It was you… who forced this King to transform, severely damaging my life source! Even if your lowly life died ten thousand times over, it wouldn’t be enough to quell this King’s hatred! Once this King consumes this Netherworld Udumbara Flower… I will make you suffer all the tortures of my demon race! I will make you wish for death but be unable to find it, making you regret forever having come into this world!!”

He turned his head, his gaze completely focused on the close-by Netherworld Udumbara Flower. His previous malevolence instantly transformed into excitement and rapture. He extended two devil claws, shrouded in black light, slowly reaching towards the flower… his movements gentle as if touching the most cherished treasure of his life.

“Hiss—” Yun Che’s teeth felt like they might shatter. The horror of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower sent shivers down his spine with just a brief recollection. A mere few dozen zhang became an unbridgeable chasm for him!

No! I must stop him no matter what…

I came here, risking everything, precisely for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower! If the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch consumes it, not only will I lose this flower, which is very likely the only one of its kind in the world, but my own life, and the lives of Jasmine and Hong’er, will be lost here forever!

I *must* stop him!

No matter what!!

The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch’s hands were already cupped around the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, slowly closing in… His movements were slow and trembling, his expression even showing fanaticism and reverence! As an ancient demon, he had never had a belief system, nor was there anything worthy of becoming his belief. But this Udumbara Flower of Dreams was like a sacred object to him; without it, his soul would have long since scattered! And his ability to fully repair his soul source and see the light of day again also depended on it!

Therefore, every time he picked it, he was extremely careful, fearing he might damage even a single stem or leaf. He never completely absorbed all the aura from this place, always retaining a certain level of density, also to ensure the continued existence of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower.

Black light enveloped the nine petals of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower. In another breath, he could perfectly pluck all nine… Just then, an extremely dangerous aura suddenly struck from behind.

Yun Che leaped up, summoning the Heaven Smiting Sword and his Profound Handle again. In almost an instant, he elevated his profound energy to its maximum. Pale golden Golden Crow flames ignited on the sword blade and Profound Handle, then he slammed them forward with a roar.

“Phoenix Sky Wolf Slash!!”

*Pffft!!*

Blood splattered from Yun Che’s arms once more, and the immense recoil sent him tumbling backward onto the ground. Meanwhile, two flaming Sky Wolf shadows, carrying violent, wave-like spatial ripples, slammed into the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch!

The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch had never expected Yun Che, despite his greatly depleted profound energy, to be able to unleash such astonishing power. The two Sky Wolf shadows were also incredibly fast. Moreover, the Devil Monarch’s concentration was almost entirely on the Netherworld Udumbara Flower. By the time he noticed them, the two Sky Wolf shadows were only three chi away.

*Bang!!!*

The two flaming Sky Wolf shadows violently struck the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch’s back. The Devil Monarch shrieked in agony as the black scales on his back instantly shattered, and black blood spurted out, revealing his severely deformed, though not broken, spine. His entire demon body was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming violently into the stone wall a hundred zhang away, then collapsing to the ground, unable to stand for a long time.

“I… I succeeded!!” Yun Che propped himself up, his vision momentarily blacking out, nearly causing him to fall again. That last Sky Wolf Slash, driven by sheer conviction, had surpassed the limits of his current power, especially with the added force of his Profound Handle. The immense drain left his body temporarily depleted, and he almost couldn’t hold onto the Heaven Smiting Sword.

But before he could catch his breath, his pupils suddenly contracted sharply.

His recent attack had skillfully avoided the Netherworld Udumbara Flower. The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch didn’t want it harmed, and neither did Yun Che. The Devil Monarch was blasted away, and the flower’s stem remained completely unscathed. However, of the nine purple glows that had been floating there…

Only four remained!

At the end of the Moon-Slaying Devil Cave, five points of dim purple light emanated from the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch’s fallen body!!

“Damn it!” Jasmine said with a grim voice. “As he was blasted away, he also snatched five petals!!”

Before Jasmine’s words fully registered, Yun Che shot forward like an arrow from a bow… He circled sideways around the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, rushing straight for the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch as if insane.

“Bastard!!” The Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch struggled to his feet, his back aching as if a transparent hole had been blasted through it. But as he was sent flying, he had desperately clutched the five netherworld petals in his claw… If Yun Che hadn’t blasted him away just now, all nine petals would have already fallen into his hands.

Watching Yun Che charge towards him, the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch’s enraged body almost seemed to explode: “You damnable bastard!! Your struggles will only increase the torment you are about to endure!!!”

Amidst his furious roar, the Moon-Slaying Devil Monarch snatched up the five netherworld petals and quickly threw them into his mouth.

Yun Che’s face drained of color as he roared hoarsely, “Stop!!”

*Gulp!!*

It was a simple swallowing motion. Even if Yun Che’s speed were ten times faster, he couldn’t have stopped it in time. He could only watch helplessly as the five netherworld petals fell into the Devil Monarch’s wide-open mouth and were swallowed in one go.

Yun Che was stunned speechless.