CHAPTER 912: ENTRY OF MAX

Kevin’s expression turned grim, but his killing intent flared even higher. "Hmph!" He stomped forward, and with a motion of both hands, black energy surged and intertwined, forming a rotating black wheel of corrosive energy, thick with poisonous mist and destructive force. The pressure it emitted was enough to make the cavern tremble, dust falling from the jagged rocks above.

Boom!

The collision shook the ground. The black sledgehammer slammed into the black wheel, sending violent shockwaves outward. Kevin’s wheel cracked apart like shattered glass, fragments of black energy scattering into the void, while the sledgehammer continued its trajectory unhindered, forcing Kevin back two steps.

The monk did not relent. He followed up immediately, wielding his hammer with ruthless precision, sweeping it horizontally like a tidal wave. The entire space filled with churning black demonic mist, wrapping the monk like a shadowy war god, as if all notions of compassion had been erased.

Kevin’s eyes sharpened, his breathing deepening. Then his expression suddenly froze as realization dawned. "No... this isn’t yin energy at all... This is... demonic energy?"

His voice trembled slightly, shock flashing across his otherwise stoic face. His pupils constricted to pinpoints as he stared at the monk with disbelief. "You... you’re not just some monk who’s strayed from Buddhism... You’re a demonic warrior?"

The implication hit Kevin hard. For someone from the Bright Buddha Palace—a symbol of purity and light—to not only possess but openly wield pure demonic energy, was far beyond what he thought possible.

A chill ran down his spine, not from fear of the monk’s strength, but from what this revelation meant for the entire Bright Buddha Palace itself.

And yet, standing opposite him, the big-bellied monk simply smiled—a cold, mocking smile, free of even the faintest shred of Buddhist compassion—and lifted the black hammer high once more, his eyes flashing with cruelty. "Donor, you now know too much."

Ten thousand years ago, long before the war between humans and the terrifying Nulls, there had been another war—one that nearly destroyed the world. It was the war between humans and the demons from outside the world.

That battle lasted for centuries, leaving countless cities in ruins and millions dead. Humans eventually won, but it was a pyrrhic victory, for the demons were never truly destroyed. Instead, the strongest among them were sealed away in ancient forbidden grounds, while some of the weaker demons managed to escape, hiding deep within unknown dimensions.

It was during that time that a strange and dangerous practice was born. Some humans, in pursuit of absolute strength, turned to the power of these demons, corrupting their mana and transforming it into demonic energy.

This act greatly increased their combat power, granting them explosive strength and terrifying resilience, but it came with a price. Their minds would twist, their souls would darken, and they would eventually become just like the demons they borrowed power from—bloodthirsty, merciless, and driven only by slaughter.

These humans became known as demonic warriors. However, with the end of the war, both demons and demonic warriors became nothing more than myths. In the current Middle Domain, their existence was something you might find only in old dusty scrolls or drunken tavern tales. Most people could live out their entire lives without ever seeing a single demon, much less a demonic warrior.

And yet here, right in front of Kevin, stood a man who completely shattered that belief—a monk of the Bright Buddha Palace, known for its purity and light, now wielding pure demonic energy. His fat body radiated an eerie darkness that tainted even the air around him.

Kevin’s eyes narrowed sharply, his expression grim. This was not just a betrayal of ethics—it was an existential threat.

The big-bellied monk, however, had no intention of explaining himself. His eyes were filled with pure killing intent as he gripped the massive black hammer in both hands. "Since you have already seen it, I will not let you leave alive," he said, his voice cold and final.

With one swing of the hammer, the surrounding Yin energy shattered like glass under pressure, ripples of black force spreading out with a sharp, tearing sound.

Kevin only sneered. "Just you?" His voice dripped with disdain. He had obtained the Great Demonic Art, survived being possessed by Old Devil Dave, and refined his poisonous palm techniques to perfection. Someone like this monk—no matter how twisted—was far from enough to make him retreat.

His palm came crashing down, releasing a poisonous light so thick it blotted out the surroundings, spreading like a noxious storm that rose wildly against the wind, crashing forward with crushing pressure.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The black hammer met the poisonous palm strikes head-on. Each collision created shockwaves that cracked the nearby cave walls, chunks of stone falling and rolling across the floor. The two moved like shadows—Kevin with his ghostly, venomous palms, the monk with his demonic black hammer, their movements too fast for normal eyes to follow.

Finally, there was a loud explosion as their attacks collided once more, forcing both of them to separate violently, sliding back across the rocky ground, eyes locked in mutual killing intent.

And then—"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

A burst of dog barking echoed from outside the cave, loud and intense, like a tidal wave crashing forward. It wasn’t one dog, but many, their combined voices shaking the very stone walls.

"Woof woof woof."

The Big Belly Monk and Kevin both froze, their expressions darkening as they instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.

Emerging from the shadows was a young man—his appearance sharp and handsome, his bearing casual and unrestrained, as though this place full of murderous intent and suffocating Yin energy was nothing more than a quiet courtyard stroll.

The young man looked at the two of them, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. "I hope I didn’t disturb you," he said, his tone light, almost mocking.

The Big Belly Monk frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing. A mere peak Master Rank expert held no weight in his eyes, and this newcomer’s confidence bordered on arrogance. Yet, it wasn’t the monk who reacted first—it was Kevin.