Chapter 147: Purgatory Peak Guardians

Enormous stamens violently spewed highly corrosive toxins, which spread over every potential landing spot for Xu Yang and Ailusa. The opening flower buds quickly spawned new venomous blossoms, relentlessly attacking their targets. Xu Yang and Ailusa battled for a long time, yet they remained trapped in their predicament.

"Hahaha! You two are certainly patient," a voice sneered. "Welcome to my Nightmare Garden!"

Just then, a massive poisonous flower bloomed, revealing a seductive woman at its center. This was Jessica, the Flower Goddess, one of the Twelve Demonic Generals; all the endlessly spewing poisonous flowers were her handiwork.

"Finally, one shows herself," Xu Yang muttered. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With a visible target, the problem would be much easier to solve.

"Oh? You seem quite eager to see me," Jessica purred, "or perhaps you're simply captivated by my beauty?" Jessica, who always likened her appearance to flowers, gazed at Xu Yang with a seductive expression.

"Hmph," Xu Yang retorted, "no matter how beautiful a flower, if it's surrounded by poison, no one will appreciate its beauty. Now, allow me to redeem your sins!"

Xu Yang soared into the air. In this space with severely limited spiritual energy, he quickly condensed a spiritual light that merged above his head, infused with a portion of demonic power. Guided by his Cloud-Gazing Sword Intent, this spiritual energy rapidly split into countless sword beams that surged towards Jessica below.

"No! My flower array! You despicable wretch!" Jessica shrieked. Enraged at seeing Xu Yang's sword beams obliterate countless poisonous flowers around her, she swiftly extended two massive, root-like tentacles from her back, lunging them at Xu Yang.

"Watch your back!" Ailusa yelled. Ailusa, who had been observing, made a decisive move, severing the restraints behind Xu Yang. The two stood proudly back-to-back in the void, radiating an incredibly powerful, regal aura.

"It's hard to believe," Jessica scoffed, "that the Empress of my demon race would fight alongside a human like you. What a truly ironic sight!"

Xu Yang sneered, "That's not for you to worry about. You only need to remember one thing: you are the scum of the demon race!"

*Boom!*

Xu Yang pointed a finger skyward. In the unpredictable darkness of the void, an incredibly brilliant golden sword beam gradually manifested. Its potent aura swept through every corner of the encompassing flower sea, perfectly suppressing Jessica's casting space. Without the protection and support of her myriad flowers, Jessica's combat strength would be severely diminished.

"Die!" Xu Yang commanded.

As the fierce sword beam descended from above, fear and despair filled Jessica's eyes. She realized that, at some point, Xu Yang, descending like a deity, had firmly locked onto her presence, making it impossible for her to move even an inch.

"Sister Flower, don't underestimate him," a voice suddenly cut in, "this human is extremely formidable!"

Just as Xu Yang's earth-shattering sword was about to strike, a phantom-like silhouette suddenly descended from the darkness, blurring Jessica's form and replacing her true body with a dark shadow.

*Boom!*

Xu Yang's sword failed to eliminate Jessica, but instead drew out another formidable member of the Twelve Demonic Generals.

"Oh, heavens... Julia," Jessica gasped, "thank goodness you were here, or I would have truly been helpless!"

The woman named Julia stood on the edge of the flower, smiling as she looked at Jessica. "Promise me you won't fight alone again," Julia urged, "especially against these two impossibly strong individuals! If it weren't for our home advantage, they alone could easily deal with all of us!"

Ailusa scoffed, "Since you're aware of our strength, stop wasting time. Take us to Gilda!"

Julia feigned helplessness, spreading her hands. "I'm sorry, Empress," she said, "but you might be disappointed. To meet Boss Gilda, you still have one crucial challenge to overcome!"

Julia snapped her fingers, and then both she and Jessica vanished simultaneously from the immediate battlefield. In their place came an incredibly heavy tread, accompanied by an intensely murderous and bloody aura! At the edge of the darkened vision, a colossal man, over three meters tall, emerged. He held a blood-red greatsword, and his eyes glowed with the same crimson hue.

"This is Gilda's latest creation, the Mountain Guardian Fiend," Julia's voice echoed. "Defeat him, and you can ascend the mountain. We'll be waiting for you up there!"

Julia's voice gradually faded, but it no longer mattered. The moment this individual appeared, all of Xu Yang and Ailusa's attention focused on the towering figure.

"Be careful," Xu Yang murmured softly. "He's very strong..." Xu Yang spoke softly, his face betraying no emotion. Perhaps only this colossal opponent could stir excitement within him.

"Ant," the giant's deep voice rumbled, "do you not even dare to draw your sword?" The giant's low voice resonated as he deliberately wiped his blade. The sword, entirely blood-red, seemed to mirror its master's desire for a feast bathed in blood.

"To fight you, you're not worthy of my true sword," Xu Yang replied. "A finger as a sword will suffice."

Xu Yang vanished from his spot with a whoosh, his movements like a specter as he lunged to actively confront the giant. Ailusa, with an almost telepathic understanding of Xu Yang's intentions, immediately grasped his strategy. By not engaging with brute force, Xu Yang was clearly using his superior speed to probe for weaknesses, creating an opening for Ailusa to land a fatal blow.

However, Xu Yang's calculations quickly proved false.

"Hehehe," the giant chuckled, "don't assume my large stature makes me clumsy." The wielder of the greatsword moved, a powerful aura of blood magic erupting around him. He darted about with explosive energy, his speed no less than Xu Yang's.

"Quite interesting," Xu Yang mused. "I'm curious, what method did Gilda use to create you?"

The greatsword wielder sneered, "To answer you in your own manner: you are not worthy to know such things. A dying man, your only recourse is to pray!"

*Boom!*

A massive blood-red sword beam cleaved down. Xu Yang flashed to the side, and the ground where he had just stood was instantly pulverized.

"Cloud-Gazing Slash!" Xu Yang declared.

Beneath the dark sky, Xu Yang formed a hand seal, and an incredibly pure moonlight silhouette appeared behind him. A colossal moonlight sword beam shot forth from the silhouette, instantly blinding the giant. The dazzling light spread wide, providing the most precious opportunity for Ailusa, who had been lurking below for some time.

"Now!" Ailusa exclaimed.

Ailusa's palm erupted with an intensely potent demonic flame, which she slammed hard onto the greatsword warrior's head from behind. This decisive blow from the Demon Empress possessed a power that the warrior simply could not withstand.

"It hasn't even begun, and it's already over?" the giant questioned. The giant's grip loosened as his unique soul structure was utterly shattered by Ailusa's palm. No matter how formidable his physical energy, without a soul, all was futile.