Chapter 2367: Mutual Destruction

Zu An remained calm, his heart like a still ancient well. Faced with the siege of two equally powerful experts, only a fool would choose not to flee. However, he also realized that continuously running was too passive. Seizing the recent opportunity, he drew his Sun-Shooting Bow and immediately shot an arrow at his opponent.

The Sun-Shooting Arrow, like a meteor, instantly reached one of the monster bird's heads. The intense light generated by its friction with the air illuminated the creature's terrified eyes. Evidently, a direct hit from this arrow would be enough to cause one of its heads to explode. Yet, at that very moment, the meteor suddenly lost its brilliance and plummeted from the sky.

The Demon Lord's Treasure-Dropping Copper Coin subtly flipped in his hand. "Have you forgotten that these magical artifacts are useless against me?" he stated coldly. Yet, he was secretly astonished and fearful, wondering how Zu An possessed so many terrifying divine artifacts. The power of that arrow had made his heart palpitate. He had a faint premonition that the arrow had not even been unleashed at the artifact's full potential; if he himself were to wield it, perhaps even the sun in the sky could be shot down.

"This world doesn't seem as weak and barren as I'd imagined," he mused. "This time, I must acquire its law beacon. If I can kill this boy directly, I won't have to bother going to that unknown spatiotemporal fragment." With this thought, his aura locked firmly onto Zu An's figure. He realized that if the boy truly intended to escape, he might not be able to find him. Zu An must be fighting to the death now out of concern for the safety of the natives and those women—he couldn't afford to waste such an excellent opportunity.

Zu An, across from him, remained composed. He drew his bowstring once more and fired another arrow. The Demon Lord again activated his Treasure-Dropping Copper Coin, scoffing, "I've already told you this is usele—" Mid-sentence, his expression abruptly shifted. He frantically urged the monster bird beneath him to dodge sideways. Simultaneously, Zu An materialized at their previous position, wielding the Tai'e Sword, and savagely slashed towards where one of the bird's heads had just been.

Despite their enmity, the Demon Lord couldn't help but admire Zu An's combat intelligence. It turned out the initial arrows were merely a diversion; the continuous barrage was meant to lull him into complacency, making him believe his opponent had exhausted all his tricks. Instead, these arrows concealed Zu An's true objective: to use the intense light from their air friction to disrupt their vision, creating an opportunity to teleport and launch a surprise attack. "It's a pity he's too clever for his own good, and it will cost him his life!"

The Demon Lord was a being who had conquered countless worlds; how could he possibly fail to see through such a simple stratagem? He had merely been deliberately playing along, always one step ahead. With a sinister grin, he watched as the monster bird beneath him, perfectly in sync with his will, opened its right head's mouth and spewed a cloud of black gas, engulfing Zu An, who had seemingly fallen into the trap.

Though referred to as black gas, it was actually a black water mist, emitting a foul, fishy stench that could be detected from a considerable distance. It evidently contained potent venom; previously, powerful figures serving Salome had been enveloped by this black mist, transforming into pools of blood in an instant, a testament to its tyrannical and malicious nature.

Because Zu An had put excessive force into his previous sword strike and then abruptly lost his target, his stance was left vulnerable. With the black gas blocking his front and the green mist pursuing from behind, he had no means of evasion. Still concerned that Zu An might survive, the Demon Lord once more unleashed his Blood-Dissolving Demon Needles, sending them hurtling towards his opponent.

Simultaneously, he produced a series of space-binding runes, ensuring that Zu An, at this critical moment, could not employ either teleportation or form-shifting. As the Demon Lord who had conquered countless worlds, he commanded an untold number of treasures and resources. Thus, upon learning of Zu An's ability to shift forms, he had immediately devised several counter-methods. He had deliberately refrained from using these runes until now, saving them for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow. With all these preparations made, and his opponent finally charging foolishly into the trap, this was the decisive moment for a kill!

Pei Mianman and Salome's group, who were rushing from afar, happened to witness this scene and cried out in alarm. Pei Mianman and the other women, distraught with concern, naturally wished to intervene and rescue him, but they were too far away to participate in a battle of this magnitude. Salome and her companions gasped in disbelief, having not expected Zu An to die so easily. With the Demon Lord and his three-headed monster bird mount seemingly unscathed, how could they possibly profit from the situation now? The Demon Lord could effortlessly deal with them the moment he turned his attention.

Just then, an unexpected turn of events occurred: the black gas that had engulfed Zu An suddenly flew directly behind him, colliding with the pursuing green mist. The green mist emitted countless shrill buzzing sounds as the two clouds, one black and one green, clashed and quickly intermingled. The Demon Lord and the three-headed monster bird were utterly stunned by this spectacle, completely bewildered as to why their own forces were attacking each other.

After all, the green mist was composed of tiny insects; while formidable at gnawing through flesh and blood, they were now confronting non-living matter, which was not their area of expertise. Conversely, the black mist possessed extremely potent corrosive properties. Soon, clumps of green mist transformed directly into blood, dripping down from the sky. Yet, the insects within the green mist were no ordinary creatures; before their demise, they released a copious amount of green toxic mist, causing the black mist to grow increasingly thin. Ultimately, both clouds of mist completely dissipated.

The Demon Lord was speechless.The three-headed monster bird was speechless.The surrounding demons were speechless.Only Pei Mianman and the other women broke into smiles, and Jing Teng softly murmured, "He truly is the man I recognized."

Freed from the encirclement of the two poisonous mists, Zu An, still in the air, seized the chance to evade the Blood-Dissolving Demon Needles and even managed to leave a gash on the monster bird with his sword. The Demon Lord reacted swiftly, conjuring several magical treasures to attack Zu An, while also taking the opportunity to ride the three-headed monster bird and put some distance between them. Although they held a significant two-on-one advantage in close combat, the recent events had been too shocking, leaving their composure shaken. Engaging Zu An in close combat under such conditions was simply too perilous.

"How did you do that?" the Demon Lord demanded, staring at Zu An in disbelief. That seemingly fatal trap had been effortlessly diffused. The crucial point was that the monster bird's ultimate abilities, specifically its two heads' attacks, had inexplicably stopped obeying his commands. "No, it was just the black gas that suddenly became unresponsive."

Zu An secretly lamented the missed opportunity. He had a chance just now, but the Demon Lord's reaction was too swift, and he flung out magical treasures as if they were worthless. By the time Zu An had countered them, his opponent had already regained his composure. He couldn't help but offer a faint smile. "Guess?" he replied.

The reason was actually quite simple: ever since he was in the Demon World, Zu An had been observing the Demon Lord for any weaknesses. The three-headed monster bird, an inseparable companion to the Demon Lord, was naturally included among his hypothetical adversaries. The ease with which Salome's powerful subordinates had perished at the monster bird's mouths had not, in fact, been entirely without benefit.

For instance, the middle head was physical, possessing incredibly sharp teeth capable of biting through anything. The green mist expelled by the left head could gnaw through an enemy's flesh and blood, as it was composed of extremely minute venomous insects. The black gas emitted by the right head was, in fact, a black water mist, highly corrosive and capable of eroding anything.

Upon realizing this, Zu An formulated a clear plan. The stronger the black gas, the better, for its essence remained water. Conveniently, he had previously learned the ability to control water from the Crown of the Sea God. Thus, he could naturally control that black water.

The Demon Lord had just believed he had secured a kill, but in reality, Zu An had seized the opportunity to leverage his opponent's power, effectively neutralizing the monster bird's two signature abilities. Neither the green mist nor the black gas were ordinary substances; the monster bird could not produce them inexhaustibly. Sure enough, the two mists annihilated each other, and the monster bird's left and right heads instantly drooped. It seemed these abilities were refined from its vital essence, and their destruction had inflicted immense damage upon its main body.

Hearing the words "Guess?", the Demon Lord's lungs nearly burst with rage.[Rage value from the Demon Lord: 618618618...]However, beneath the anger lay a profound fear; this individual was simply too unfathomable.