Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor grew increasingly impatient as the fight progressed.

He thought that the White Ape Demon Saint had fallen from his cultivation level and died due to the opponent's conspiracy. With his strength, taking down a mere Qi Condensation Realm cultivator would be a piece of cake.

But no one expected this human to be so tenacious, like an unkillable cockroach, getting up again and again, and even becoming more and more courageous in battle.

This made the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor feel uneasy. His growth rate was too fast. If he continued to grow, he might really become a major threat to the Demon Court in the future.

Thinking of this, a murderous glint flashed in its eyes.

It stopped abruptly, formed hand seals, and the flames around its body suddenly surged, unleashing a terrifyingly high temperature that distorted and warped the surrounding air.

"Li Yuan, you have every reason to be proud that you forced me to use my natal demonic flame!"

It opened its mouth, and a blood-red fireball condensed and took shape inside. As soon as it took shape, it exuded a suffocating pressure.

"Go to hell!"

With a roar, the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor unleashed a fireball like a meteor, trailing a long, fiery tail, hurtling towards Li Yuan.

"Hiss!"

Wherever it passed, the ground was scorched into a blackened trench, and the air emitted a piercing crackling sound.

Just as the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor opened its mouth, Li Yuan sensed the terrifying energy contained within it. His heart sank, and he knew that he absolutely could not withstand this attack.

Just as he was about to dodge, a powerful aura locked onto him, and no matter which direction he went, the fireball would instantly follow.

His heart pounded with fear, and he pushed his movement technique to its limit, moving so fast that only afterimages could be seen. However, the feeling of danger behind him was still like a thorn in his back, following him like a shadow.

The scorching heat made even his Yuan energy begin to stagnate, and Li Yuan felt an unprecedented life-or-death crisis.

Fortunately, he could communicate with the stars, and a continuous stream of stellar power flowed into his body, supporting his speed.

"Heh, let's see how long you can hide!"

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor sneered, his hand seals flying as he continuously increased his output. The flames on the fireball surged, and Li Yuan gritted his teeth and accelerated again, creating a stalemate between the two.

The situation was very unfavorable for Li Yuan. As long as he could not maintain high speed and slowed down even slightly, the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's natal demonic fire would burn him to ashes.

Despite the power of the stars, Li Yuan couldn't withstand the prolonged exertion. As soon as his speed slowed down, a burn was scalded on his back, and a sharp pain that could make one's soul tremble struck.

"Ugh!"

Li Yuan groaned, staggered, and watched as the fireball was about to hit him.

At the critical moment.

"choke!"

A bright, white sword light descended from the sky.

Like a cascading waterfall from the heavens, it crashed down upon the fireball.

"laugh!"

The clash of water and fire produced a violent steaming sound, and large amounts of white steam spread outwards, obscuring the view.

"Boom!"

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's natal demonic fire was cleaved in two by a single sword strike, exploding violently and creating a huge crater in the ground.

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's pupils contracted sharply as he turned his gaze toward the direction from which the sword light was coming.

A slender figure slowly descended from the sky.

The woman in the red dress looked dashing and heroic. She held a long sword that was crystal clear, with silver light flowing across its blade and emanating a chilling aura.

"teacher?"

Li Yuan was both surprised and delighted. "It's you?"

The newcomer was none other than Liu Hongyan, an instructor from the Divine Martial Academy. She landed beside Li Yuan, glanced at him, and said with icy eyes, "How dare you bully my disciple!"

Li Yuan sensed the powerful sword intent emanating from Liu Hongyan and was astonished to find that she had actually entered the Dao Realm.

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of bloody teeth: "There's nothing I can do, the opponent is too strong."

"Are you the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor?"

Liu Hongyan turned around, facing the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor, and slowly raised the long sword in her hand. The surrounding temperature suddenly dropped, and a thin layer of frost even condensed on the ground.

"Indeed, and who are you? I do not recall any human being possessing such a powerful expert as yourself."

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor looked at her with suspicion. There weren't many people in the Dao Realm among the human race, and each one of them was already registered with the Demon Court. Liu Hongyan had only recently advanced, so he didn't know about it.

"I am his teacher. If you want his life, you'll have to ask my sword for permission first."

Liu Hongyan's voice was chilling.

"Hmph! He's only at the early stage of the Dao Realm. I don't even consider him a threat."

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor snorted coldly. He was already a mid-level Demon Emperor and was not afraid of Liu Hongyan, but his tone no longer carried the contempt he had shown before.

"Is that so? Then try my sword."

Liu Hongyan twisted her wrist and thrust out her sword.

A streak of icy blue sword light, like a dragon emerging from the sea, carrying a chilling aura, aimed straight for the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's throat.

Liu Hongyan's sword techniques were effective against it, so the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor dared not be careless and waved his hand to condense a flame barrier in front of him.

"boom!"

The sword's edge struck the barrier of flames, producing a sharp, explosive sound. The intense collision of ice and fire generated a large amount of steam, churning the surrounding air into chaos.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Yuan launched an attack from the side, taking advantage of the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor being restrained by Liu Hongyan, and slashed at its waist.

Crimson Flame Demon Emperor was attacked from both sides and had to divide his attention to deal with the situation. He struck Li Yuan with a palm while spewing out a flame from his mouth, forcing Liu Hongyan to retreat.

The master and apprentice worked together seamlessly, one in front and one behind. Li Yuan's knife skills were cunning and ruthless, targeting the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's weak points, while Liu Hongyan's sword skills were sharp and elegant, suppressing the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor's flames from the front.

The Crimson Flame Demon Emperor was struggling against two opponents. In terms of strength, he far surpassed Li Yuan and the other two, but the two cooperated well, and Liu Hongyan's sword energy just happened to counter its flames, which limited its strength.

After fighting for nearly half an hour, the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor, seeing that he could not break through the defenses, began to consider retreating.

It feinted, forcing the two back, then leaped backward, creating distance between them.

"You're lucky today!"

After saying that, it flickered and transformed into a streak of crimson fire, disappearing into the western horizon in the blink of an eye.

"I will return, but you won't be so lucky next time!"

Seeing the Crimson Flame Demon Emperor flee, Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He was immediately exhausted and sat down on the ground. This battle had almost depleted all of his Yuan energy.

Liu Hongyan sheathed her sword, walked to his side, squatted down, placed her hand on his wrist to check his pulse, and frowned slightly.

"You've overexerted your Yuan energy, damaged multiple meridians, and suffered serious internal injuries. You've risked your life."

Li Yuan smiled bitterly: "There's nothing we can do. You've seen the situation here. If we don't fight, we'll die."

Liu Hongyan remained silent for a moment, then took out a pill from her bosom and handed it to him: "This is the Ice Heart Restoration Pill, which will be beneficial to your injuries."

Li Yuan took the pill, swallowed it, and a cool sensation rose from his abdomen, slowly flowing through his limbs and bones, suppressing the fire poison in his body.

The battlefield was now quiet. While Li Yuan and the other man were fighting, the probing demon soldiers had already retreated.

Liu Hongyan wasn't in a hurry. After Li Yuan had regulated his breathing for a few cycles and felt better, she stood up and patted the black ash off his body.

His robes were already riddled with holes from the raging fire, leaving him in a sorry state with many exposed areas of skin. He couldn't help but give an embarrassed smile.

"Teacher, I'll go change my clothes first, and we'll talk later."

Liu Hongyan looks like she's in her early thirties, but in reality, she and Ye Hongyu were classmates and she's over sixty. In her eyes, Li Yuan is just a little kid.