Chapter 2052: Slaying Demons

"In the end, ants are just ants." Tian Mo grinned ferociously. In an instant, he closed the three-zhang distance, his sinister demonic claw as black as ink and larger than a palm-leaf fan, aiming to crush Ye Chen's skull.

Ye Chen wasn't foolish enough to stand still and let Tian Mo grab him. He dodged to the side and darted out five or six zhang, heading straight for Gui Yu City. The upcoming battle would be extremely bloody and noisy, and he didn't want Ling Feng and the others to get caught in the crossfire.

It was worth noting that the tip of the Xuan Lei Jian in his hand was still connected to bolts of lightning. Wherever Ye Chen went, the lightning followed, channeling thunderous energy through the Xuan Lei Jian and into his body.

With the lightning bolstering him, his speed and agility were much faster than before. At a glance, his form was like a streak of lightning, moving at an extreme pace.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tian Mo pursued relentlessly, his figure like a dark shadow, chasing Ye Chen into Gui Yu City.

Behind them, Jian Sheng and Dao Kuang supported each other as they staggered to their feet, intending to join the fight once more. However, they were too weak; after just two or three steps, they collapsed again.

"I've never felt so useless." Shangguan Jiu coughed up blood, her title as the Dao Kuang of the chaotic world now seeming like a massive joke.

"I still can't figure out what that thing is." Yang Xuan propped himself up to stand, but as soon as he spoke, he vomited blood and collapsed onto the ground.

"It's too strong." The other martial artists were utterly shocked, both by Tian Mo and by Ye Chen. Not only had Ye Chen survived being struck by lightning, but he could also draw it into his body, completely overturning their understanding. The myth of the martial world was truly monstrous, and even more so was Tian Mo, with his overwhelming demonic power that had beaten Ye Chen into submission.

Among those present, Ling Feng remained the most composed. The once-dominant Jian Sheng of the martial world had lost twice in a single day, but he didn't feel ashamed, for his opponents were no ordinary beings—they weren't on the same level, so defeat was inevitable.

In that moment, Ling Feng's mindset underwent a subtle change. It was a sense of awe toward immortals and a yearning for the unknown. The existence of Ye Chen and Tian Mo made him glimpse a world called that of immortals, the true pinnacle of existence, forever out of reach for mortals.

In that instant, he desperately wanted to embark on that path and explore the heavens beyond.

Inside Gui Yu City, demonic winds howled, and murderous aura filled the air.

Since entering the city, Ye Chen moved like a ghost, darting here and there. It wasn't that he feared fighting Tian Mo; it was because he was severely injured and needed to use the lightning to heal his wounds and gather enough power from the heavenly thunder to slaughter the demon.

The thunder on this rainy day was indeed a divine aid for him. Combined with his self-created cultivation method, he could draw the lightning into his body, and his bloody gashes were visibly healing, one after another.

In other words, his current state was gradually transforming from that of a mortal into a half-immortal. This was because lightning was a force of heaven and earth, and by borrowing that power, he had one foot in the realm of cultivators.

As long as he achieved the state of a half-immortal, he could destroy Tian Mo. He had that confidence, born of an unyielding belief in his own invincibility.

"You can't escape, you can't escape." Tian Mo's roars echoed louder than thunder. As Ye Chen scurried chaotically through the city, Tian Mo chased madly. With his insight, he could see exactly what Ye Chen was doing. He could clearly feel Ye Chen's power rising and was terrified that Ye Chen would cross that insurmountable gap, gaining the true strength to kill him.

Unfortunately, with lightning enhancing Ye Chen's speed, even Tian Mo struggled to catch up. Occasionally, he managed to close in once or twice, but the damage to Ye Chen was negligible.

"Just a bit more, just a bit more." Tian Mo chased like a madman, and Ye Chen fled like one, drawing thunder into his body while pushing Tai Xu Bu to its limits.

It wasn't clear when, but Ye Chen finally stopped, standing once again on the stone platform.

At that moment, not a single wound remained on his body. Faint strands of crisscrossing lightning flickered across his form. His eyes were profoundly deep, with flashes of thunder within, and even his flowing black hair was tinged with strands of electricity.

Most importantly, his power had risen a level due to the lightning. Now, he was a half-immortal, albeit a temporary one. Once the rain and thunder ceased, he would fall back to being a mortal.

Therefore, he had to slaughter Tian Mo within this timeframe.

"Kill!" Tian Mo roared in fury, stepping onto the stone platform with surging demonic energy and overwhelming killing intent.

This was the very stone platform where he had been defeated by Ye Chen before.

Now, he intended to wash away his shame right here.

"Fight!" Ye Chen bellowed, sweeping out a swath of thunder with his sword.

Tian Mo was even more aggressive, not even glancing at it as he spread his arms wide, tearing through the lightning while his eyes shot out beams of blood light.

Ye Chen spun around, wielding the Xuan Lei Jian to block the blood light.

"Die!" Tian Mo charged forward, his fingertips wreathed in dark aura as he thrust toward Ye Chen's skull.

Ye Chen tapped his toe on the ground and leaped backward off the stone platform, then swung his sword remotely, unleashing a storm of sword qi from the Wan Jian Chao Zong technique. Each blade of qi was entwined with lightning, made even more domineering by the thunder's enhancement, piercing through the air and sparking in the rain.

Tian Mo stood firm, stomping his foot as demonic light erupted around him, forming a protective demonic barrier.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sounds of metal colliding rang out as the sword qi struck the barrier but failed to break through, shattering one after another.

Feng Shen Jue!

Ye Chen, still in mid-air, charged back onto the stone platform, executing Feng Shen Jue with devastating force. It pierced straight through the demonic barrier, aimed directly at Tian Mo's brow.

Tian Mo's expression changed, and he tapped his toe to instantly retreat off the stone platform.

Ye Chen pursued with lightfoot skills, maintaining his thrusting posture. The tip of the Xuan Lei Jian radiated lightning, now just three inches from Tian Mo's brow.

Unfortunately, without anyone to coordinate with him, the attack fell short. If someone had restrained Tian Mo, even for a split second, he could have pierced a bloody hole through Tian Mo's skull—a perfect kill.

In the pouring rain, Tian Mo flew backward while Ye Chen pressed forward, their speeds evenly matched. The three-inch gap remained unchanged, as they vied for that tiny distance.

Tian Mo's face paled, his eyes fixed dead on the sword tip, not daring to pause for a moment. This was no game; a single misstep would mean his skull was pierced.

After flying over a hundred zhang like this, Tian Mo finally raised his hand and grasped the sword tip.

The kill attempt thwarted, Ye Chen didn't back down. He lunged forward with a kick to Tian Mo's chest, and amid the flashes of lightning, the sound of Tian Mo's ribs cracking could be heard. It was no exaggeration—Ye Chen's kick was powerful enough to nearly eject Tian Mo's internal organs.

Seizing that brief respite, Tian Mo fled, only stopping after a dozen zhang. Without a word, he spat out a mouthful of blood in a dramatic spray. He had underestimated this mortal Ye Chen; stepping into the half-immortal state had made him this formidable.

No one knew if telling him about Ye Chen's past exploits would ease his mind at all.

In the rain, Ye Chen advanced with his sword, his momentum even stronger.

"Kill!" Tian Mo bellowed, charging through the rain with one hand forming seals as he approached.

Ye Chen snorted coldly, seeing through Tian Mo's secret technique, and leaped into the air just in time.

No sooner had he moved than spikes of bone erupted from the ground where he had stood, each three to five zhang long, like steel blades gleaming with demonic light. Had he been any slower, he would have been impaled from foot to head.

In an instant, he swung the Xuan Lei Jian, shattering the bone spikes.

"Perish before me!" Tian Mo arrived, manifesting a demonic blade with his power and slashing down from above.

To Tian Mo's surprise, Ye Chen didn't dodge.

Splash!

Blood sprayed as Tian Mo's blade struck Ye Chen's shoulder, nearly severing his arm.

But Ye Chen retaliated immediately, thrusting his sword through Tian Mo's body. It was a strategy of mutual destruction—one that harmed the enemy at great cost to himself. With time running short, he couldn't afford delays.

"Ah!"

Tian Mo roared, staggering backward with blood gushing from the wound.

Ye Chen ignored his own injuries and pounced, gripping the Xuan Lei Jian and slashing wildly at Tian Mo's face—whether nose or eyes, he didn't care.

Tian Mo went berserk too, clutching his demonic blade and attacking without any pattern. For every sword strike Ye Chen landed, Tian Mo delivered a slash in return.

The fight was brutally bloody, staining the rain red.

Amid the lightning flashes and downpour, both had become maniacs—one with disheveled hair, the other with a grotesque face. Blade and sword clashed in a flurry, accompanied by sprays of blood that the rain couldn't wash away, continuing until one fell.

Tian Mo was furious to the point of despair, yet astounded beyond words. This mortal's tenacity shattered his expectations; time and again, Ye Chen was beaten down only to rise again, pushing even Tian Mo's demonic resolve to the brink of self-destruction.

Ye Chen's eyes had turned blood-red in the midst of battle, but that unwavering light never faded.

He had to fight and had to win—not for the world, but for Qin Xiong in his reincarnation.

Years ago, that mortal general, like the heroic spirits of Da Chu, had fought to the death to protect him, helping him achieve the Sheng Ti. He owed a debt to Da Chu and to Qin Xiong. This involved the life and death of a reincarnated soul; he couldn't afford to lose. No matter who he lost to, it couldn't be Tian Mo—that would be an unforgivable blood debt.

"Kill!"

"Fight!"

With another roar, the two clashed again, turning the rain into a river of blood.

Not long after, the rain stopped, and the rumbling thunder faded with the last flicker of lightning.

Outside the city, Ling Feng and the others had regained some strength. They trudged through the muddy paths, stumbling forward until they pushed open the gates of Gui Yu City.

What they saw was a horrifying sight: two bloodied figures, barely human, swaying as they hacked at each other in the blood-soaked water. One wielded a blood-drenched sword, the other a demonic blade. Each slash was met with a thrust, reverting the battle to its most primal savagery.

The onlookers gaped, stunned. How intense must this fight have been? If not for Tian Mo's more imposing build, they wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.

In the end, Tian Mo fell first. As he tried to rise, Ye Chen kicked him back down.

Ye Chen staggered forward, though the lightning no longer aided him and he was at his limit. Still, he mounted Tian Mo, grabbing his collar with one hand and pounding his skull with bloodied fists, just as he had done to the Tian Mo Da Di years ago.

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood."

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood."

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood."

Ye Chen's roars were hoarse and tragic, his face streaked with bloody tears. Accompanied by soul-shaking howls, his fists struck flesh and bone, splattering Tian Mo's brains.

"Ah!"

Tian Mo howled and thrashed, desperate to rise but unable.

In his final moments, he seemed to see three terrifying visions in Ye Chen's eyes. In each, Ye Chen was pinning down and beating a Tian Mo—two were the Tian Mo Da Di, and one was the Tian Mo Da Di's body, all reduced to dust in history by his fists.

Did he... slaughter three Tian Mo Da Di?

In that instant, Tian Mo stopped howling, his eyes bulging and pupils contracting in terror as he stared at this mortal. His mind shattered, and the last remnants of his will were obliterated.