One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Gao Ning and Dou Mei attempted to join forces to resist, but their abilities were more focused on mental influence and weakening opponents. Faced with this pure, savage, and overwhelming physical crushing force, they were struggling to keep up. Gao Ning tried to change his formation again to interfere, but found that his "Twelve Labors of Passion Formation" was now like a huge vortex, with the possessed Nie Lingfeng at its center. The formation not only failed to control his opponent, but was instead being eroded and assimilated by the overwhelming demonic power emanating from him. The power of the formation was being instinctively absorbed and utilized by Nie Lingfeng, transformed into even more violent killing power! With each attack he received, he felt as if his mind was being struck by a heavy hammer, and his fingers, which were twisting the prayer beads, trembled so much that he could barely hold them.

Dou Mei's domain swept over, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea, having no effect on the boiling demonic nature. Instead, it was countered by the evil energy, making her already pale face even more ashen.

Seeing this, Yuan Tao knew he could no longer hesitate. A flash of pain and madness crossed his eyes. He bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto the two remaining "Nine Dragon Sons"!

"Pulao! Suanni! Explode for me!!!"

The two beads absorbed the essence blood and suddenly expanded, emitting an unstable and violent light. Then, like two small suns, they crashed into Nie Lingfeng from the left and right with the momentum of mutual destruction! This was his last killing move, which he activated at the cost of damaging the foundation of his magic weapon!

Nie Lingfeng's crimson eyes darted around, seemingly developing an instinctive interest in the two beads that exuded a dangerous aura. Ignoring Gao Ning and Dou Mei, he curled his left hand into a claw and slammed it down on the "Pulao Bead" on his left! Dark red malevolent energy condensed into a ferocious giant claw phantom, forcefully grabbing the bead that was about to explode in his palm!

"boom--!!!"

The "Pulao Pearl" exploded with a bang in the giant claw phantom! However, most of the energy from the explosion was forcibly compressed and bound by the solidified evil claw, with only a small portion leaking out and blasting a small crater in the ground.

At the same time, Nie Lingfeng clenched his right fist and simply punched the "Suanni Pearl" that was attacking from the right!

"Bang!"

The moment the fist collided with the bead, the "Suanni Bead" didn't even have time to fully detonate before it was blasted into dust by the fist, which contained terrifying brute force and malevolent energy! The flames and shockwaves from the explosion hadn't even spread before they were completely dispersed and annihilated by the dark red fist wind that followed!

"My...Nine Dragons...are all gone..." Yuan Tao was struck dumb, his face ashen, his last shred of hope shattered. He grabbed the still-dazed Han Dan'er, his voice trembling with fear: "Go! Go now! This isn't human! It's a demon! A real demon! If we don't leave, we'll all die here!"

The two turned and fled desperately into the depths of the mountains, wishing they had two more legs.

Nie Lingfeng slowly turned his head, his scarlet gaze like that of a highly accurate hunter, locking onto the two fleeing figures. His eyes were empty, yet held a chilling focus.

He stretched out his right hand, spread his five fingers, and gently clenched them towards the void.

"Zheng—!"

The Snow Drinking Blade, stuck in the ruins dozens of feet away, emitted a clear yet demonic tremor as it automatically lifted off the ground, slicing through the night sky and landing steadily in his blood-soaked palm.

The instant the hilt of the knife made contact with his palm—

"BOOM—!!!"

It was as if a crimson thunderbolt had exploded in the deepest part of his mind!

The dark demonic energy belonging to the "Demon Blade" inheritance, which had been dormant in the depths of his consciousness since he obtained the Snow Drinking Blade and was suppressed by his own will, suddenly erupted like a powder keg that had been ignited!

Countless cold, cruel, violent fragments of information, filled with destructive and murderous intent, surged into his already chaotic consciousness like a black flood bursting its banks! The Demon Blade's mantra—Sever all feelings and righteousness, sever the seven emotions; the essence of the Demon Blade's sword techniques—Nourish the blade with killing, sharpen its edge with blood; the Demon Blade's ultimate philosophy—Prove the Dao through killing, slay all things!

These information resonated and merged with the boiling Qilin mad blood within him, the extreme emotions stirred up by the "Twelve Labors of Passion Array," and the boundless bloodlust in his heart at this moment!

In Nie Lingfeng's scarlet eyes, the last trace of bewilderment and struggle that belonged to "Nie Lingfeng" vanished completely, replaced by an absolute, cold, and pure killing intent. That gaze was like that of an ancient, world-destroying demon god, looking down upon the insignificant masses.

He slowly raised the Snow Drinking Blade. The blade, originally as clear as ice jade and exuding a chilling aura, now began to autonomously absorb the surrounding dark red malevolent energy and bloody stench! On the blade, crimson lines, twisting and spreading like blood vessels, rapidly appeared and extended, eventually intertwining into bizarre and ancient demonic runes! The entire blade emanated a contradictory and terrifying aura, a mixture of extreme cold and intense heat, holiness and evil!

His gaze remained fixed on the direction in which Yuan Tao and Han Dan'er fled. He gripped the knife with both hands and, in the most basic yet most fitting posture to the true meaning of the Demon Blade, delivered a simple vertical slash.

There was no shouting, no building up of energy.

Only the faint, yet soul-slicing, hissing sound of a blade cutting through the air.

"Demon Blade - First Form - Severing the Mortal World"

Silently.

A dark red, arc-shaped blade of energy, only a few feet wide but condensed to the point of seemingly being able to cut through space and over forty feet long, was detached from the Snow Drinking Blade and silently tore through the night, slashing towards the two black dots in the distance!

Wherever the sword energy passed, the scene was bizarre and terrifying.

The ground didn't explode; instead, it was silently cleaved open with a bottomless, mirror-smooth, several-foot-wide, pitch-black fissure! From within the fissure emanated a strong stench of sulfur and blood, seemingly leading straight to the deepest hell. Within a ten-foot radius on either side of the fissure, all the trees, rocks, and even the air itself, as if stripped of all life and color the instant the blade's energy swept past, rapidly withered, turned to ash, and crumbled into falling dust! It was as if that single strike had severed not only matter, but the very "existence" of that area!

In the distance, a short, piercing scream, filled with extreme fear and pain, could be faintly heard from Yuan Tao before abruptly ceasing. Immediately following was the dull thud of Han Dan'er falling to the ground.

Then, all was silent.

At the end of the crack, there was only a desolate area shrouded in death and annihilation, and two blurry outlines of bodies that were rapidly withering and losing all traces of life.

The remaining three members of the "Four Madmen"—Xia He, Gao Ning, and Dou Mei—witnessed this scene, their faces turning ashen, as if the blood in their bodies had frozen at that moment.

Gao Ning's hands trembled so badly he could barely clasp them together. He finally realized the fatal mistake he had made! The "Twelve Labors of Emotion" formation had not only failed to trap or weaken Nie Lingfeng, but had instead become the perfect resource for him to completely succumb to demonic possession, absorb negative emotions, and forge his demonic blade! Even more terrifying was that the formation was now being eroded and controlled by Nie Lingfeng's demonic nature. The three of them were trapped in this perilous place shrouded in demonic energy, as if they had spun their own cocoon! Nie Lingfeng was now the master of this perilous place, the true core of the formation!

Above Nie Lingfeng's head, in the void, a large amount of dark red malevolent energy and the death aura permeating the battlefield were frantically converging, gradually condensing into a huge, distorted, and ominous rune phantom that was faintly visible and constantly twisting, exuding a terrifying ferocity and ominous feeling—it was an ancient, ferocious character that seemed to be formed from the wails of countless wronged souls and the killing intent—the character "Demon"!

As Nie Lingfeng killed Yuan Tao and the other man, the phantom of the character "demon" absorbed the resentful aura of their deaths, and it was becoming clearer and more solid at a visible speed! Its color was also rapidly changing from the initial dark red to a dazzling scarlet red that seemed to be dripping with blood!

"Withdraw the formation! Gao Ning! Quickly! Withdraw the Twelve Labors Formation at all costs!" Dou Mei's voice became sharp and shrill due to extreme fear.

"We can't retreat...we can't retreat!" The fake, pitying smile on Gao Ning's face had vanished, replaced by endless panic and despair. He desperately tried to activate the hand seals, but found that the connection with the formation was intermittent. Most of the control over the formation had been forcibly seized by the overwhelming demonic energy! "The formation...he's taken over! He's now the core of the formation, the heart of the demonic realm! Unless he actively disperses the demonic energy, or leaves this area...we...we simply can't get out!"

Xia He looked at Shen Chong, who was barely breathing and lying in the ruins with his eyes open.

In Shen Chong's eyes, only the purest fear and pleading, like that of a drowning person, remained. His lips moved, but he could only utter weak breaths: "Save...save me...I don't want...to die..."

His voice clearly reached Nie Lingfeng's ears as he walked slowly towards him.

Nie Lingfeng stopped and lowered his head slightly. His eyes, burning with scarlet flames, indifferently looked down at Shen Chong, who was struggling like an ant at his feet. In those eyes, there were no human emotions, no anger, no hatred, not even mockery, only a pure coldness as if looking at something about to be crushed.

He slowly raised the Snow Drinking Blade in his hand, which was wrapped in blood-red runes and exuded a terrifying demonic aura.

The blade reflected the blood moon on the horizon, which seemed to be stained red as well, and also reflected Shen Chong's face, which was twisted and distorted with despair due to extreme fear.

"No—!!! Please! Spare me! I'll give you anything! My abilities! My wealth! My—" Shen Chong screamed with his last ounce of strength.

"Demon Blade, Second Form - Severing the Six Desires"

Nie Lingfeng uttered five cold and ruthless words, like the pronouncements of Yama, the King of Hell.

The blade flashed silently.

It was neither a stunning glimpse nor a freezing cold, but a blood-red arc of light with a bizarre trajectory, seemingly capable of stirring up all the greed, anger, and delusion deep within the hearts of living beings, yet instantly annihilating them completely!

The speed of the blade's light didn't seem fast, even somewhat slow, but it carried an eerie sense of "certain hit," as if it had already locked onto Shen Chong's fate.

Shen Chong tried to dodge, but his body was pinned to the spot by invisible shackles, unable to move even a finger. He could only stare wide-eyed as the eerie crimson arc of light, like a lover's fingertip, gently yet irresistibly swept across his neck.

"puff."

A very faint sound, like the sound of a ripe fruit falling to the ground.