Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 252 A Battle to the Death, Tragic!

Given the infamous reputation of the Evil Old Demon, Dou Eqing considered the possibility of his side being defeated one by one by the enemy.

Therefore, Dou Eqing used the Four Symbols Formation Saint Transformation Battle Technique to unite the combat power of the ten people into a single force.

The Four Symbols Formation Saint Transformation Battle Technique borrows the battle formation from the Four Symbols Formation Saint Transformation technique, allowing them to gather the spiritual power of ten people to form a battle formation.

Moreover, the Soul Refining Evil Armor and the Four Holy Swords served as the medium for the grand formation, allowing the combined power of the ten individuals to be both offensive and defensive.

The dragon-headed Xuanwu, formed from the spiritual energy of the battle formation, is clad in the Soul Refining Evil Armor and can wield the Four Sacred Swords like a cultivator.

Dou Eqing and the other eleven were all hidden inside the body of the Dragon Head Xuanwu. As long as the battle formation was not broken, they would not be attacked, which gave them great confidence in fighting against the Evil Old Demon.

The colossal beast, formed from the spiritual energy of the battle formation, raised its azure dragon head, with dark gold lightning patterns flowing between its winding horns.

His amber-colored vertical pupils contained layers of golden patterns, and his gaze rippled with a spiritual light like water, as if he could see through the myriad causes and effects of the mortal world.

The long whiskers hanging down beside the dragon's mouth are formed from stardust. As the spiritual energy flows, they scatter into thousands of fireflies, and then reassemble like a silver river as the dragon breathes in and out.

The tortoise shell pattern is woven from dark blue runes, and each plate is covered with ancient seal script, subtly corresponding to the number of stars in the celestial sphere.

Its four legs are like giant pillars of black iron, and its long tail is coiled like a dragon diving into the abyss. The scales at the tip gradually turn into a semi-transparent state, and the surging purple lightning and thunder can be vaguely seen inside.

Whenever the tortoise shell looked at its target, the dragon's eyes would ripple with spiritual energy, as if it were the true form of the Black Tortoise with a dragon's head.

Thus, Yu Dian and the other ten seemed to become one, breaking through space from the core of the underground palace and appearing directly above Fishman Island.

When it was in the core of the underground palace, the dragon-headed Xuanwu was only five meters long, less than three meters high, and only two meters wide. Now, under the control of ten people, it has suddenly become a behemoth that is a hundred meters long.

Therefore, the cultivators of Fishman Island discovered it immediately, and soon after, the Evil-Infused Old Demon flew into the air and confronted it.

Du Sizong, who was standing next to the evil old devil, immediately spotted his mortal enemy, Dou Eqing.

With the help of the evil old demon, Du Sizong regained possession of a physical body.

He gritted his teeth and said to the old devil of evil:
"Master, it's them who made me want to possess another body."

Upon hearing this, the evil old demon attacked the dragon-headed Xuanwu.

However, the dragon-headed Xuanwu, clad in the Soul Refining Evil Armor, possesses both offensive and defensive capabilities, appearing both real and illusory, and even if attacked and penetrated, it does not suffer much damage.

Therefore, at first, the evil-giving old demon was forced to the point of having no other choice, which made the evil-giving old demon very angry.

In particular, Dou Eqing, hiding in the enemy ranks, provoked them with harsh words:
"Old devil, you are utterly wicked. As the saying goes, retribution may be delayed, but it will come soon. Today is your death day! Quickly hand over your entire estate, and I will inherit it all. Otherwise, I will sell your wife and daughters into prostitution!"

When the evil old demon stopped attacking, Dou Eqing and her group took the initiative to attack again.

The phantom of Xuanwu raised its dragon head, which was covered with Soul Refining Evil Armor, and the Four Holy Swords, carrying spiritual energy, transformed into a raging waterfall of light that attacked Du Sizong.

The evil old demon cleaved the attack with a powerful slash, but his momentum didn't diminish as he continued to strike at the dragon's head, Xuanwu.

Ten streams of spiritual energy at the Void Refinement Realm merged at the array's core, condensing into a pale blue tortoise shell that stretched across the sky, forcefully resisting the crimson bone blade slashed down by the old demon.

Under Dou Eqing's command, the ten men in the formation rotated according to the Bagua directions, switching from offense to defense. The runes shot out by the swords even scorched marks on the surface of the Soul Refining Evil Armor.

"A millennia-old demon can't even beat a child's trick? Haha!"

A mocking murmur arose from the center of the formation. Suddenly, the four sacred swords separated and reunited. The phantom of the Vermilion Bird rose into the air from the back armor of the Black Tortoise. With a cry, sparks flew out from the phantom of the Vermilion Bird.

The shooting sparks were the fire of rebirth, and the evil old demon accidentally set his temples ablaze.

"go to hell!"

The ferocious roar shattered the clouds that stretched for miles, and seven layers of blood-red Dao wheels appeared behind it. With each rotation, a poisonous dragon emerged from the void and gnawed at the foundation of the great formation.

These poisonous dragons are not real demonic dragons, but rather manifestations of magic.

At the same time, the evil old demon cast a spell, and his eleven spiritual clones emerged from his main body to launch an attack together.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yu Dian suddenly pointed his sword southwest from the formation, and the Xuanwu giant claw, carrying the power of mountains and seas, smashed the three poisonous dragons.

A dazzling beam of light erupted from the array patterns, piercing through the chest of the Evil-Infused Old Demon, only to vanish in an instant, as if it were all an illusion.

"Nothing special!"

Amidst the roars, the twelve avatars of the Evil Demon simultaneously formed the World-Destroying Seal, and the pitch-black lightning magic tore at the Four Holy Swords Formation like a raging dragon.

"Old demon, whose heart is clouded by defilement, do you recognize this item?"

As half a bronze fragment engraved with a Qilin pattern was thrown out from the formation, the old demon's pupils shrank in an instant, and the Xuanwu phantom spewed out Taiyin True Water to freeze his left arm.

The ten people simultaneously formed a sword incantation, and the four holy swords transformed into entangled chaotic chains, firmly pinning the evil entity to the center of the tortoise shell totem.

The crimson Dao Wheel suddenly spun in reverse, and the bound old demon revealed a sinister smile.

The five clones outside the formation suddenly expanded like stars, and the evil energy twisted the space into a vortex.

With a deafening bang that shattered eardrums, the Four Symbols Formation collapsed into a shower of light, and the dragon-headed Xuanwu formed by the battle formation turned into spiritual energy debris.

Although the battle formation was broken, the self-destruction of the evil old demon's clone also caused him considerable damage.

Blood gushed from his gaping wound, staining his tattered robes red, and a strong stench of blood filled the air.

His eyes still revealed a bloodthirstiness, but his body trembled slightly due to internal injuries, preventing him from launching an attack immediately.

Yu Dian and Shi Liyuqiu, enduring the backlash from the broken formation, seized the opportunity during the moment when the old demon's true essence was fluctuating to control the Four Holy Swords to shoot them like arrows towards the opponent's dantian.

However, the Evil Old Demon was also a truly ruthless person. He actually controlled his clone to shield his main body from this powerful attack once again, which also aroused his killing intent and motivation.

With their combined defense breached, each of them became a weakness to the Evil Old Demon, as they were unable to reassemble their battle formation in a short time.

Having just recovered from the effects of his clone's self-destruction, the Evil-Infused Old Demon immediately attacked with his sword.

He cleaved a fish-man at the Refinement Void Realm in two with a single stroke.

His sharp Crimson Bone Blade flashed through the air with a cold light and a tearing sound, instantly cleaving a fishman in two at the Void Refinement Realm.

Blood splattered everywhere, a stench filled the air, and the fish-man's body flew through the air.

When the ten of them fought together using the battle formation, they didn't realize how strong the Old Demon Evil was. Only now did they witness how terrifying he was.

As a result, most people were terrified by the evil old demon's knife and scattered and fled on their own.

The Crimson Bone Blade emitted a dazzling light like lightning, carrying a chilling aura that pierced the heart. The air was filled with the nauseating smell of blood.

The Evil Old Demon already had a considerable grudge against the Fishmen. His hatred for the Fishmen had a long history, and every confrontation made him furious.

His second attack was also aimed at the female merman cultivator, a graceful woman with shimmering scales, who was trying to use her spiritual energy shield to resist the attacks of the evil old demon.

However, the old demon's strength far exceeded her expectations. He swiftly and decisively killed the second Void Refinement Realm merman. His powerful swordsmanship swept in like a storm, instantly tearing apart the merman female cultivator's shield. Then, her body turned into nothingness in the dazzling light, leaving only a faint smell of blood in the air.

Just as he was about to attack the third female merman cultivator, Yu Dian, together with Shi Liyuqiu and Yu Youmei, stepped in and stopped his attack in time.

Yu Dian brandished his longsword, its blade flashing and exuding a chilling aura; Shi Liyuqiu cast spells, beams of light shooting from his hand to strike the enemy; Yu Youmei used her agility to skillfully weave among the enemies, disrupting their formation.

The four of them worked together to form a defensive line that could temporarily hold off the evil old demon and repel the ferocious evil old demon.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Dou Eqing quickly calmed the others down, gathered them all together, and gave each of them several fifth-tier talismans.

These talismans emitted light of various colors and were covered with complex runes, as if they contained infinite power.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, making everyone feel on edge.

Dou Eqing then delivered an inspiring speech, drawing everyone's attention to the fifth-tier talisman in his hand.

Only then did they regain their footing, and everyone's attention was focused on Dou Eqing, awaiting her next instructions.

The three women, Yu Dian and Yu Dian, were all formidable. Each of them had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, possessing sharp swordsmanship and profound spiritual energy.

However, when they joined forces to fight the Evil Old Demon, they still found it extremely difficult.

The Evil Old Demon was tall and imposing, with ruthless swordsmanship, a sinister face, and eyes like lightning. He held a Crimson Bone Blade that glowed with blood-red light, its blade flashing coldly, sending chills down one's spine.

Each of his strikes carried a violent force, as if it could tear the air apart and cause the surrounding temperature to plummet.

Despite the three women's best efforts and their skillful use of various techniques, working in perfect harmony, they could not withstand the overwhelming pressure and could only barely hold on.

Therefore, Yu Dian could only transmit his voice to Dou Eqing and say:

"To avoid greater casualties, we'd better go back to the underground palace and rest for a while."

However, Dou Eqing knew very well that it was easy to get out, but difficult to get back in.

Because they had all broken through to the Void Refining Realm, Dou Eqing couldn't take them into the Ziwei Immortal Mansion. The core area of ​​the palace also restricted entry to those with the bloodline of the Fishman race. Alternatively, he could merge with Dou Eqing and have him bring them in.

Given the current situation, this is clearly unrealistic.

He could only have the other six Void Refinement Realm cultivators attack from the side with talismans to relieve the pressure on the three of them, while he himself turned his attention to Du Sizong, who was hiding far away.

"It seems that the only way to turn the tide is to capture you."

Therefore, Dou Eqing bypassed the group battle of the Void Refining Realm and flew swiftly towards Du Sicheng.

His actions quickly caught the attention of Du Sizong.

Du Sizong was initially delighted, but then his face immediately showed worry.

Dou Eqing was about to catch up with Du Sicheng, and he had already figured out how to capture him alive.

"Fellow Daoist, swords and blades have no eyes. I advise you to surrender. You have already possessed one body. If I destroy your physical body again, you will not be able to possess another."

He pointed his White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade at Du Sizong and said.

The White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade gleamed with a cold light, its blade flashing with a predatory gleam in the sunlight. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were fixed on Du Sicheng.

Du Sicheng's face was ashen, his brows furrowed, clearly enraged by Dou Eqing's provocation.

His eyes revealed deep dissatisfaction and anger, as if they might erupt at any moment.

The air around him seemed to tense up because of his emotions, and even the sound of the wind seemed particularly harsh.

At the same time, he felt the murderous aura permeating the air, as if he would be cleaved in two by this deadly weapon at any moment.

But deep down he also wanted to kill Dou Eqing to avenge the destruction of his physical body.

The image of Dou Eqing's contemptuous smile and cruel gaze kept flashing through Du Sizong's mind, as if he could feel the malice emanating from those eyes.

Since his rebirth through possession, every time he recalls the moment his physical body was destroyed, he can feel that tearing pain and despair.

He was determined to tear Dou Eqing to pieces with his own hands, so that his soul would never find peace, in order to quell the anger and pain in his heart.

Although the body he re-possessed had good cultivation talent, the drawbacks of possession were unavoidable, causing irreversible damage to his path of cultivation.

Whenever he tried to use his new body to perform the spells he used to be good at, he always felt that he couldn't do it well, as if there was an unbridgeable gap between his soul and body.

This subtle discomfort not only affected his cultivation progress, but also made him appear particularly vulnerable when facing powerful enemies.

Therefore, his resentment towards Dou Eqing was beyond measure.

"If you've got the guts, then come at me! I was careless last time, and your scheme succeeded. This time, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

Although Du Sicong spoke harshly, he kept falling towards the ground, seemingly trying to escape. Dou Eqing naturally didn't think he could subdue Du Sicong with just a few words; his words were merely a bluff, intended to intimidate Du Sicong into revealing his weaknesses or trump cards.

Du Sizong landed on the ground, making Dou Eqing suspect that the other party had laid an ambush on Fishman Island, which naturally prevented the other party from getting what they wanted, and thus increased the speed of the pursuit.

Dou Eqing affixed a speed talisman to his calf and shot towards Du Sicheng like an arrow, blocking his path at a distance of only thirty meters.

He thought the other party would turn around and continue to run away, but to his surprise, Du Sizong turned around and took the initiative to kill him.

"court death!"

Du Sicheng roared, his eyes flashing with fury. At the same time, he waved his hands and threw two fifth-order Demon-Slaying Thunder Pearls, which shone with purple light, to Dou Eqing's left and right.

The lightning bolts streaked through the air like lightning, unleashing a deafening roar that seemed to tear the entire space apart.

Du Sicheng unhesitatingly unleashed his ultimate technique of man and sword becoming one, his entire being merging with the long sword in his hand, charging straight at Dou Eqing with boundless power and speed, like Hou Yi shooting down the sun.

Dou Eqing not only failed to anticipate that the other party would take the initiative to attack, but also failed to expect that Du Sicheng would use such an ingenious and deadly combination attack.

Du Sicheng's series of swift and precise movements were like lightning cutting through the air in the black smoke, leaving Dou Eqing defenseless.

Currently, Dou Eqing is in a state of pursuit and interception. He suddenly stopped at an extremely fast speed, as if he was in a stage where his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated.

He could have dodged slightly to the left or right, but the explosion of the two fifth-grade high-level Demon-Slaying Thunder Pearls completely blocked his escape routes in those two directions.

The enormous explosion was deafening, like thunder. Blazing flames and lightning attacks instantly spread out, the air filled with the power of lightning strikes, and scorching waves of air rushed towards him, causing a burning sensation on his skin.

The surrounding air was blasted wildly, lightning flashed everywhere, and it seemed as if the entire space was trembling.

Therefore, Dou Eqing could only take the direct hits of Du Sicheng's swift, lightning-fast, and perfectly coordinated attacks.

Dou Eqing first held his sword horizontally as a shield, the blades gleaming with a cold light, as if they could cut through anything in their path.

Immediately afterwards, he activated the Xuanmo Saint Armor, which instantly emitted a dark golden light, like the sun descending, tightly enveloping his entire body, making every detail appear indestructible.

Du Sizong's attack, carrying the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade, struck Dou Eqing, sending him flying nearly a hundred meters into the air, blade and all.

Dou Eqing felt completely disoriented from the impact, his head spinning, as if the world was turning around, and everything in front of him became blurry.

His body felt as if it had been struck hard by a heavy hammer; every muscle was trembling, and the pain spread violently from his chest to his back, as if countless needles were pricking his nerves.

Waves of dizziness washed over him, as if he were falling into the ocean. A surge of energy rushed towards him, making his vision blur and his ears ring. He lost his balance and was about to fall again after just taking off.

"Crack!"

During the fierce battle, Du Sizong's longsword suddenly broke in two, the sharp blades scattering and making a piercing metallic clanging sound.

He had to quickly deactivate the jungle knife's combined state, gripping the broken hilt tightly with both hands, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and determination.

This result greatly frustrated Du Sizong, who never expected that Dou Eqing possessed a treasured sword comparable to a sixth-tier weapon.

In fact, Du Sizong did not know that after so many years of recovery, the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade had transformed into a fifth-grade top-quality treasure blade.

This sword not only reached the peak of the fifth rank in terms of level, but its original quality was also comparable to an eighth-rank magic weapon.

Therefore, Du Sicheng's meticulously planned counterattack not only failed to harm Dou Eqing, but also broke his own sword first.

Du Sicheng was deeply impressed by the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade after his last encounter with Dou Eqing, and secretly plotted that if he could kill Dou Eqing, the precious blade would belong to him.

However, after Du Sizong possessed the body, he still specially sought out a fifth-grade high-quality treasure sword to use as his weapon.

The blade of this precious sword gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, its edge incredibly sharp, as if capable of slicing through space itself.

The hilt is engraved with many intricate inscriptions, and when held in the hand, one can feel a powerful force flowing through the fingertips.

After all, his physical body was destroyed last time, and all his wealth became Dou Eqing's spoils of war.

Those precious treasures that once belonged to him can now only be found in his memories, while the sword before him is a symbol of his resurgence.

However, he never expected that the precious sword he had finally found would be damaged in this very first battle.

Du Sizong took out a new fifth-tier treasure sword from his storage ring. The blade was black and the edge was as sharp as a crescent moon. It was yet another fifth-tier treasure sword.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on the blade as if recalling something, before grabbing the precious sword and turning to fly towards the ground.

Although Dou Eqing was caught off guard, he was not seriously injured thanks to the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade and the Xuanmo Holy Armor.

Du Sicong thus realized that Dou Eqing possessed extraordinary defenses and did not believe he could defeat Dou Eqing alone.

He was secretly shocked; Dou Eqing's attacks were not only fierce, but his defense was also virtually impenetrable.

He knew that he could not shake this impenetrable opponent with his own strength, and he still had to proceed according to plan.

After all, he had already died once.

That near-death experience made Du Sizong realize the fragility and impermanence of life. Even cultivators are still mortals, and immortality requires becoming an immortal to control one's own destiny.

As Dou Eqing said, if his physical body is destroyed again, it will be difficult for him to use the body-snatching technique again.

The art of possession requires a complete and vibrant body as a vessel, and once the physical body is destroyed, finding a suitable replacement becomes extremely difficult.

Each possession is a huge drain on one's energy, weakening the power of the soul. It should never be attempted lightly unless absolutely necessary.

The art of possession is rejected by the Heavenly Dao because it violates the laws of nature and the rules of life.

This makes the path of cultivation after possession even more difficult.

The success rate of the second possession is extremely low, with only a one in a thousand chance of success.

Therefore, Du Sizong acted with great caution.

Dou Eqing thought the same thing when he saw that Du Sicong did not press his advantage.

Without thinking twice, he immediately chased after them again.

During the brief period of pursuit and escape between Dou Eqing and Du Sicheng, the battle of the Void Refining stage underwent a dramatic change.

Currently, of the original four Void Refinement Realm experts of the Fishman race, only Yu Youmei remains.

Moreover, Yu Youmei's injuries were also quite severe. Her entire body was stained with blood, and the wounds faintly glowed with a purple light, clearly indicating that she had been injured by some kind of deadly poison.

Her eyes revealed exhaustion and pain, but she maintained a firm will, as if telling herself and those around her that she would not fall easily.

In this battle, the evil old demon showed no mercy. Despite discovering that Fang Hong possessed a special furnace physique and was also incredibly beautiful, he still killed her.

Fortunately, Yu Dian acted in time, allowing Fang Hong's soul to hide inside the Soul Refining Evil Armor and be fused with the weapon spirit, thus leaving the opponent with a glimmer of hope.

In addition, Xiang Jiangyun's body was also shattered, and she needed to be protected by others, which made her a burden instead.

Sun Jiuniang even came up with a terrible idea: to have Xiang Jiangyun ambush the Evil-Guan Old Demon by self-destructing her own body.

Her reasoning was that after Xiang Jiangyun self-destructed, her soul could merge with the Soul Refining Evil Armor, and the people protecting her could be freed to fight against the Evil Old Demon.

However, to be fair, among the initial ten Void Refinement Realm cultivators, Sun Jiu Niang's strength was at least third to last, or even second to last, if not the worst.

However, four of the ten had already died in battle, and even the formidable Xiang Jiangyun was barely alive, while Sun Jiuniang was completely unharmed.

However, no one paid attention to this point, nor did they notice how she managed to protect herself.

To others, Sun Jiu Niang was simply someone who valued her life.

She barely made a move, spending most of her time dodging the Evil-Infused Old Demon, making this battle seem almost unnecessary.

In fact, the fifth-tier talismans in her hands should have played a great role, but not a single one was used, nor did they reveal their power.

Sun Jiu Niang herself seemed to have forgotten the top-grade sword talisman that Dou E Qing had given her, and the others were unaware that she possessed it.

The situation is different now. Sun Jiu Niang herself is already a Void Refining Realm expert, and activating a fifth-grade top-quality talisman is a piece of cake for her.

Although the damage of fifth-tier talismans to Void Refinement Realm experts is limited, if activated by a Void Refinement Realm expert and in considerable quantities, they can still achieve unexpected results.

If several, or even dozens, of fifth-tier talismans were to attack the Evil-Sucking Old Demon at the same time, he would have no choice but to retreat. They would definitely play a significant role at crucial moments.

Whether it's for offense or emergency response, they will have more options.

Actually, Sun Jiu Niang's inaction was not terrible; what surprised others was that she rebelled.

At the start of the battle, Aunt Sun actually conceived the idea of ​​using someone else to do her dirty work.

She envisioned that he and the evil old devil would both be severely injured, and that she would be killed through her own scheme, ultimately becoming the only woman by Dou Eqing's side.

Later, the strength that Evil-Guan Old Demon showed was too great, and Sun Jiu Niang suddenly had the idea of ​​betraying him and joining Evil-Guan Old Demon.

However, in E Guan's eyes, Sun Jiu Niang was just a pretty face.

However, after Sun Jiuniang claimed to be the ruler of Dongwu Kingdom, he felt that she did indeed have some value to be used, so he agreed to her surrender and did not punish her severely.

In the heart of the evil old demon, he planned to end his identity as a rogue cultivator by using the Eastern Wu Kingdom.

According to the ruling, rogue cultivators like the Evil Old Demon are not only prohibited from easily interfering in the affairs of any faction, but also from arbitrarily joining any faction.

Of course, there are always exceptions.

The exception is marriage alliances.

For ordinary rogue cultivators, they can end their rogue status simply by marrying a direct descendant of a powerful sect.

A renowned powerhouse like the Evil Old Demon must marry a key cultivator from a powerful faction.

Therefore, the evil old demon planned to marry into the Eastern Wu Kingdom after this battle and become Sun Jiu Niang's Daoist partner, secretly showing mercy to Sun Jiu Niang during the battle.

He naturally realized that Sun Jiuniang was no longer a virgin, but "marrying into the family" was only a temporary measure.

However, he still secretly asked Sun Jiu Niang via telepathy who had taken her virginity.

When he learned that it was Dou Eqing who had taken away Sun Jiu Niang's pure Yin essence less than a hundred years ago, Eguan Laomo felt extremely uncomfortable, as if Sun Jiu Niang was actually his Daoist partner.

Therefore, in the mind of the evil old devil, Dou Eqing was already a dead man.

He telepathically told Du Fapu that he must kill Dou Eqing and leave no survivors.

Dou Eqing managed to dodge the attack but still got caught in the crossfire.

She truly lives up to the saying that beautiful women are a source of trouble.

Although Sun Jiuniang chose to rebel, she secured for herself the condition that she wouldn't have to stab someone in the back.

One is the psychological barrier, and the other is leaving oneself room for regret.

After all, Dou Eqing gave Sun Jiu Niang a mysterious and unpredictable feeling, and his final fate was still unclear.

She didn't want to close her own path and always wanted to have a backup plan.

The evil old demon didn't think that Sun Jiu Niang's backstab would have much effect, so he didn't pay attention to it.

He believed that only by personally eliminating his enemies could he feel satisfied and satisfy his bloodthirsty nature.

(End of this chapter)