CHAPTER 430: CHAPTER 429 XIE ZHIQIU_1

「The Third Layer of the Sky Demon Tower.」

A man in a red robe walked through the darkness. Wherever he passed, a natural lethal force seemed to emanate from him. The Demon Shadows rushing from all directions disintegrated and vanished without a trace upon entering a ten-meter radius around him.

His speed at clearing these Demon Souls was no slower than Ling Chen’s; he was extremely efficient.

This man was Xie Zhiqiu, the chief disciple of the Skypiercing Peak Lineage.

As he walked, he consistently ranked first on the points list. He didn’t even have to lift a finger; the mere Air Energy emanating from his body was enough to shatter the Demonic Will Remnants. This hinted at an extraordinary level of strength.

Suddenly, he paused. "Ling Chen... he’s quite interesting. But I don’t wish to act. Yan Xiang, let’s see if you can kill him. If I were to intervene, there would be no honor in victory. We are simply not on the same level; the disparity in strength is too vast. If I were to act, even if I killed him, I would become a laughingstock to the world."

He closed his eyes. Through the Devil Scroll, it seemed he could sense who occupied the second and third places. Ranked directly behind him were clearly Xia Yunxin and Xun Wujie. These two, with points only slightly less than his, posed a significant threat.

These two are my true adversaries. I must remain completely vigilant. Otherwise, if they seize first place, how would the Skypiercing Peak retain its prestige?

With this thought, he moved, striding deeper into the darkness.

「Outside the Sky Demon Tower.」

BUZZ.

The Third Layer of the Sky Demon Tower suddenly lit up. Subsequently, a dozen or so names also illuminated on the Devil Scroll. These individuals were all the young Demon Way Experts who had entered this Third Layer.

Ling Chen’s name was conspicuously among them. Moreover, the speed at which Ling Chen had reached the Third Layer was only marginally slower than the top three.

"He reached the Third Layer so quickly! That’s no easy feat," the Demonic Cult Leaders remarked, astonished.

"It seems Yan Xiang and the others haven’t encountered that kid Ling Chen yet. Once they do, his luck will run out," the Green-faced Demon Sect elder stated coldly.

"Then he won’t be able to swagger for much longer." The members of the Tiger Demon Sect looked ferocious, a cold sneer playing on their lips.

The higher one ascends the Sky Demon Tower, the smaller the space on each floor. Thus, upon reaching the upper layers, Ling Chen would have nowhere to hide, even if he wanted to.

"There’s no rush," the Ghost God Honorific said with a laugh, looking entirely confident. "Prey should be savored slowly. If devoured in one gulp, it loses all flavor."

His composure surprised many of the Skypiercing Peak experts. The Ghost God Honorific had appeared utterly confident from the very beginning, seemingly unconcerned that this operation might fail.

「Third Layer Space.」

SLASH!

Ling Chen wielded his sword, charging and slashing in all directions. Wherever he passed, the Demonic Will Remnants were utterly vanquished. The entire nearby space within the tower was swiftly cleared.

Ling Chen controlled the thunderous power within the Thunder Shadow Sword, transforming it into a "Floating Light Thunder Prison." Wherever it passed, all Demonic Will Remnants seemed to meet their nemesis, melting away like snow and vanishing.

ROAR! ROAR!

As Ling Chen reaped these Demonic Will Remnants, thunderous roars suddenly erupted from the darkness ahead. Two figures, seven to eight zhang tall, emerged from the shadows and into Ling Chen’s line of sight.

These two Demonic Will Remnants were both half-human, half-demon. One had the head of an ox, the other, the head of a horse. Clearly warped manifestations of Demonic Will, they exuded an aura of bloodlust and frenzied power.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

Ling Chen could almost smell the stench of death emanating from these two figures.

These Demon Way Experts, in life, must have all been formidable practitioners who revered the Way of Slaughter, their hands stained with blood. Consequently, after their deaths, the Demonic Will Remnants they coalesced into were like beings from the Netherworld—specifically, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the guardian deities of the Yellow Springs Gates.

Both Ox-Head and Horse-Face possessed strength equivalent to a peak Grandmaster Fifth Realm.

With a deafening howl, "Ox-Head and Horse-Face" charged at Ling Chen, brandishing giant axes.

WHIZZ!

Ling Chen’s Thunder Shadow Sword streaked through the void like a current of electricity, striking the two giant axes.

CRACK!

As if slicing through tofu, the two sky-splitting giant axes were cleaved in half. Even the bodies of Ox-Head and Horse-Face were bisected, directly dismembered by a single sword strike.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

An intensely rich Demonic Will surged from the corpses of "Ox-Head and Horse-Face," and was entirely absorbed into the Demon Soul Bead.

Ling Chen glanced down at the Demon Soul Bead in his hand. After the battles on three floors, the once-transparent bead had turned a light black. Faint streams of dark light seemed on the verge of seeping out from within.

It’s still not enough. There’s still a considerable gap between me and the top three. I must ascend to the higher tower layers as quickly as possible to slay even stronger Demon Souls.

Ling Chen reattached the Demon Soul Bead to his waist. A trace of his Origin True Qi was linked to the Devil Scroll, allowing him to vaguely sense the rankings. He was currently in eighth place; his recent kill of Ox-Head and Horse-Face had just propelled him to seventh.

However, the top three—Xie Zhiqiu, Xia Yunxin, and Xun Wujie—were far ahead. Ling Chen currently had 5,680 points, while Xie Zhiqiu had already surpassed 10,000. Xia Yunxin and Xun Wujie were close behind Xie Zhiqiu, each with over 9,000 points, maintaining tight pursuit.

Catching up to these three would be quite difficult.

SWOOSH!

With a flash, Ling Chen vanished from his spot.

Not long after Ling Chen departed, a young prodigy from the Saint Witch Religion appeared nearby. Seeing the devastated space, his expression changed. "I just detected two powerful Demon Souls here—two Demonic Will Remnants at the peak of the Fifth Level Grandmaster—yet they’ve been killed! The air still reeks of Slaughter and death. It must have been Ling Chen’s work! Some disciples saw him unleash a technique like a Thunder Prison, slaughtering Demon Souls as easily as chopping vegetables or drinking water. If he’s allowed to continue like this, the consequences will be unthinkable."

"Big Hu Xiong, should we pursue him, or notify Teacher Yan Xiang?" another promising Demon Way talent asked cautiously.

"No need!" declared the Demon Way youth, who bore a strong resemblance to members of the Tiger Demon Sect. His cultivation realm was actually The Master of the Sixth Realm, only slightly inferior to Yan Xiang. With his strength, he was a focal point wherever he went. A cold sneer appeared on his face. "My strength is actually not inferior to Yan Xiang’s. However, his master is the Sect Leader, while my father is merely from the Tiger Demon Sect. That’s why I’m a step below him, usually obeying his orders and submitting. But things are different now. I alone possess the strength to kill Ling Chen."

"That brat is only a Third Level Great Master, yet he ranks so highly. The Saintess must have given him some great Treasure. I’ll kill Ling Chen myself, seize his Treasures, and plunder his Dragon Vein Power. After that, my strength will advance by leaps and bounds. Then... I’ll make that Yan Xiang submit to me!"

As he finished speaking, a grim, triumphant smile spread across Hu Xiong’s face, exuding a chilling aura.