Chapter 600: Jiang Fan Must Not Be Killed

A thunderous crash erupted. He was seized by a powerful hand, and his head spun. Jiang Fan's strike landed nearby, shaking the very ground.

Immediately after, a powerful demonic energy surged into his body, rapidly healing his injured eye. Recognizing the person who had seized him, his heart trembled, and his face instantly flushed with shame.

“Demon Emperor, I have disappointed you,” he said. At the last moment, the Demon Emperor had intervened. The leader of the Ten Stars, unable to defeat Jiang Fan, had needed the Demon Emperor’s rescue to survive. He was utterly mortified.

He wished he could crawl into a hole. The Ten Stars also wore expressions of deep shame; the faint glimmer of excitement they had felt moments earlier had vanished completely, replaced by profound humiliation. The Ten Stars, even with their combined might, had failed to subdue a human whose limbs were bound. Purple Star, their leader, had been soundly defeated in just two moves.

Had the Demon Emperor not intervened, Purple Star would have met the same fate as the previous two, allowing Jiang Fan to achieve a successful triple kill.

The Demon Emperor, his gaze cold, fixed on Jiang Fan. “This is not your fault,” he said slowly. “It is I who underestimated this human.” An undisguised flicker of killing intent emanated from him.

Jiang Fan casually brushed dust from his fists. “As I said before,” he stated calmly, “if you can’t handle the game, don’t play. You should have just killed me outright; it would have been far better than this repeated farce. Now, you’ve lost your reputation and needlessly sacrificed two promising younger generations.”

Jiang Fan’s sarcastic words felt like a needle prick to the Demon Emperor. Killing intent glinted in his eyes. “It seems you are ready for your death,” he declared. “Will you do it yourself, or shall I personally put an end to you?”

The Demon Emperor no longer bothered with pretense, speaking his grim words directly. Consort Yunxia opened her mouth, but then hesitated, her words catching in her throat.

The Demon Emperor’s will superseded all; her pleas would not change anything. Moreover, killing Jiang Fan was not solely the Demon Emperor’s decision; it was also the consensus among the high-ranking members of the demon race. If Jiang Fan’s previous interference with the undead army had caused the demon race to lose face, then his single-handed defeat of the Ten Stars had utterly stripped the demon race of its internal prestige and dignity. She could no longer find any reason for Jiang Fan to be spared.

Jiang Fan was destined to fall. Not even the descent of all the gods and Buddhas could save him.

The Sea Charm Demon King quietly showed a look of sadness. In the end, Jiang Fan would still die. The Ten Stars also found no joy in this outcome. If they could have chosen, they would have preferred Jiang Fan to die in fair combat. For the Ten Stars, this manner of death was a humiliation!

Jiang Fan, however, merely let out a hearty laugh. “So I die,” he said. “I have no regrets! But no human of my race dies from fright. If you wish to kill me, Demon Emperor, you will have to do it yourself!”

Even at this final moment, Jiang Fan remained unyielding, like a peerless divine sword pointing skyward, showing no intention of bowing or yielding.

The Demon Emperor’s killing intent intensified. “Good!” he stated. “You are indeed a formidable figure among humans. You are worthy of dying by my hand!” His eyes sharpened, and he prepared to strike.

Jiang Fan secretly clutched the Nascent Soul Jade Talisman and Underworld Poison he held. He knew he had no chance of survival against the Demon Emperor, but even in death, he would make the Demon Emperor pay a price!

“Demon Emperor, wait!”

At this critical juncture, Devouring Heaven Tiger hesitated, then intervened to stop him. The Demon Emperor shot him a glance, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. It was Devouring Heaven Tiger who had proposed that “matters between juniors should be resolved by juniors.” Now, they had not only lost face but also their internal dignity. He was now caught in an awkward position.

“What brilliant insight do you have now?” the Demon Emperor asked blandly.

Devouring Heaven Tiger knew the Demon Emperor was blaming him for the current debacle. A bitter feeling rose within him. Who could have known that Jiang Fan would be so monstrously powerful? Was it truly as Consort Yunxia had claimed—that the Ten Stars were no match for Jiang Fan, that they weren't even qualified to be his sparring partners?

He bore undeniable responsibility for the deaths of the two Stars. At this moment, he did not wish to draw further attention and incur the Demon Emperor’s displeasure. However, he had no choice but to step forward. Devouring Heaven Tiger bowed his head. “Demon Emperor, please calm your anger,” he pleaded.

“Your subordinate merely wishes to confirm something with Jiang Fan.”

The Demon Emperor raised an eyebrow. “What matter?”

Devouring Heaven Tiger looked at Jiang Fan, a suspicious glint in his eye, and asked: “Human Jiang Fan, have we met before?” Ever since Jiang Fan had displayed his Thunder Dragon Lightning Leg, Devouring Heaven Tiger had felt a sense of familiarity, though he hadn't been entirely certain.

Jiang Fan looked at Devouring Heaven Tiger, his gaze naturally falling upon the missing toe on his paw. With a half-smile, he said, “More than just met. I should even thank your paw; it helped me immensely.” It was precisely that paw that had allowed Jiang Fan to acquire the Five Magnetic Yuan Mountains from Ouyang Jun.

“What?!” Devouring Heaven Tiger lifted his paw and examined it, his expression drastically changing. “You are that person from the Myriad Sword Sect?!”

At this point, Jiang Fan had nothing left to hide. “That’s right, it’s me,” Jiang Fan openly admitted, a look of regret on his face. “I’m honored that Demon King Devouring Heaven Tiger still remembers me. It’s just a pity my strength wasn’t enough back then to keep both of you. Otherwise, my death would have been even more worthwhile.” To have the Demon Emperor’s daughter and a Demon King buried alongside him would have been an immense net gain for Jiang Fan.

Devouring Heaven Tiger’s eyes trembled violently. As expected! The person before him was indeed Shadow Guard Number One.

The Demon Emperor frowned. “Devouring Heaven Tiger, what are you trying to say?”

Devouring Heaven Tiger stared at Jiang Fan, a potent killing intent in his eyes, which he reluctantly suppressed. He spoke in a deep voice, “Demon Emperor, this person cannot be killed yet.”

A mocking scoff arose from the other demons. The demon strongmen bristled with anger. “Devouring Heaven Tiger! Are you siding with outsiders? Are you still clinging to your principle of ‘matters between juniors should be resolved by juniors’? What next, should we send in the Four Heroes? Enough! Step aside!”

No one understood Devouring Heaven Tiger’s intention. Even the Demon Emperor looked on coldly, stating with inherent authority, “Give me a reason!” The Demon Emperor’s tone was filled with suppressed rage. Devouring Heaven Tiger’s recent actions had clearly incurred the Demon Emperor’s complete displeasure. If today’s matter was not handled properly, Devouring Heaven Tiger would undoubtedly face severe punishment.

Devouring Heaven Tiger spoke in a low voice, “The reason can only be known by the Demon Emperor.”

These words caused many demons to exchange puzzled glances and begin speculating. What kind of reason could only the Demon Emperor know, something even their high-ranking demon elders weren’t qualified to hear?

The Sea Charm Demon King began to ponder, growing worried. Could it be that the matter of Jiang Fan and Yaoyue’s connected mind-controlling worms had been discovered? That killing Jiang Fan would also kill Yaoyue, and thus Jiang Fan couldn't be easily killed to avoid harming her?

No, that wasn't right. If Devouring Heaven Tiger knew about this, why would he have waited until now to speak? Consort Yunxia also furrowed her brow. What secret could Jiang Fan possess that only Devouring Heaven Tiger was allowed to know?

The Demon Emperor’s eyes narrowed. He looked at Jiang Fan again, convinced that this person absolutely had to die. He couldn't fathom any reason why he shouldn’t kill him. Yet, Devouring Heaven Tiger’s serious demeanor indicated he wasn’t joking. With a wave of his hand, powerful demonic energy enveloped both him and Devouring Heaven Tiger.

“Speak,” the Demon Emperor commanded.

With his demonic energy creating a barrier, no sounds could be heard from outside. Only then did Devouring Heaven Tiger cautiously speak. “Demon Emperor,” he began, “Jiang Fan… is Shadow Guard Number One!”

At first, the Demon Emperor’s expression remained unchanged. Immediately, his pupils constricted violently, and terrifying demonic energy surged out uncontrollably. Caught off guard at such close range, Devouring Heaven Tiger was blasted backward, slamming hard against the demonic energy barrier with a sickening thud. He was instantly wounded by the impact, falling to his knees in panic. “Demon Emperor, please calm your anger!” he pleaded. “Demon Emperor, please, calm your anger!”

At this moment, the Demon Emperor had lost all calm and composure befitting a ruler. His eyes were bloodshot with fury. He seized Devouring Heaven Tiger by the throat, lifted him up, and spoke grimly: “Are you saying… Jiang Fan is the human who defiled Liuli?!”