Forge a path to success

Bats rub their wings, making sounds as they face the night.

So the night sky disintegrated, turning into billions of bats that flew down.

It was an indescribable feat, a frenzy that shook even the soul. The night trembled at the cries, darkness falling like an avalanche. They came alive by magic; the second and third bats landed on the Demon King's hand, and all the bats flew towards the same spot, as if the Demon King were pulling up a corner of the night sky.

He waved his arm, pointing at the assassin. A swarm of billions of bats flapped their wings at his command, and the living night swooped down upon Chu Heng!

Chu Hengkong severed a bat, and was then engulfed by an countless horde of beasts. He was utterly unable to "react," the overwhelming swarm completely drowning out his thoughts. He only saw the Demon King laughing maniacally, the beasts swirling in the air, and his fragile self swallowed by the night. The boundary between self and others blurred in that moment, and his soul sank into an endless ocean of thoughts.

He needs to wield a sword, he needs to flap his wings. He is human, he is a bat. How to define oneself, how to drive one's actions? In that murky, unsettling night, only endless screams and cries can be heard. The despair that the archmage Vansalal once experienced has become one of the supreme arts in the hands of the demon king Vansalal.

That was a despair that no one could overcome alone; even a former grand mage was powerless against it. Yet Chu Hengkong gripped his sword tightly, assuming a fighting stance amidst the endless swarm of bats.

"—Keep an eye on the direction for me, Vande."

He was never alone; the contract he signed upon arriving in the Realm of Submersion allowed him to hear the voices of others.

"—Forward, just keep going forward!"

With the perception of others, a different self emerges. Definitions are established through contracts, and the assassin stands in the depths of the night. He holds his sword high above his head, assuming the simplest high stance. One-slash, the foundation of the One-Sword Style, a powerful downward strike after raising the sword—a strike that even a layman without martial arts knowledge can replicate.

Simple, fast, and straightforward.

Therefore, it is powerful!

The flames on the Divine Slash faded, leaving only a thin, condensed crimson light. Chu Hengkong roared, swinging his blade. A vast line of light slashed into the night, the fierce clang of the blade drowning out the flapping of bat wings. The pure strike pierced the darkness, magnified before his eyes, forming a path of light that pierced through despair!

Shadow Appears in the Sky: Yang Yi. A fusion of skillful hands and subtle light, a blade of intense, blazing sunlight!

At the end of that path of light, the Nightmare King roared with ecstasy. He stretched out his arms to meet the blade aimed at him. In unparalleled joy, the Demon King's emotions reached a new peak.

"Great! Fantastic!!"

"As expected of the man who drew the murderous blade! As expected of the brave one who dared to challenge me! You can still surpass your limits, you will definitely be able to kill me!"

"Here we go, brave warrior!"

Come on, don't lose!!!

The world crumbled amidst maniacal laughter, and the wilderness sank into oblivion under the moonlight. The toy box flipped over once more, and the Demon King unleashed his full power at this moment.

"Divine Reversal—"

"Ode to the Prison Realm: The Land of Despair!"

Chapter 248 All Stars Shine in the Kingdom of Despair

O brave one, you who possess courage, you will surely triumph and be adorned in glory.

The world turned upside down, and the abyss descended. Everything in the desolate wilderness was swallowed by darkness, and a sense of emptiness gripped the heart, bringing a moment of panic.

That was the same feeling of endless falling that he had experienced before, like sliding into a bottomless abyss. But at this moment, Chu Hengkong was no longer powerless. His heart pounded with excitement, his surging blood dispelled the chill, and the Divine Slash rang out in the shadows, pointing him in the right direction.

He thrust his blade down, deliberately falling towards the abyss. The instant the hymn began, the murderous blade pierced the land of despair. The Qi of a Thousand Autumns and the Burning Night operated at full power; the longing within the Divine Slash was stirred by his will, causing him to don a burning cloak.

Then, the agony of being subjected to dismemberment returned. A thousand cuts, tearing through his flesh and marrow, as if every inch of his body was being simultaneously tortured, as if his very soul was being immersed in a pool of blades. He activated his Undying and Indestructible Technique to regenerate, mentally preparing himself thoroughly.

Nothing to be afraid of.

I have overcome pain far more intense than this.

Having the resolve to defeat the Demon King, how could they be intimidated by mere fear!

Chu Hengkong endured the pain and drew his sword, shouting with spirit, "Fan De!"

"Not yet!"

He used most of the power in the murderous blade to protect the beholder. Vandal should have been unharmed, but he became inexplicably agitated. "I can't sense the connection point. The magic is too scattered... Where is it? Where is Vandal?!"

It is right here—

Chu Heng swallowed the words he was about to utter. The Demon King was right ahead, his intuition told him so, yet he couldn't see the person at all. He couldn't see the withered hair, nor the black smile. After the Kingdom of Despair unfolded, Vansalal suddenly vanished, leaving only the singing of corpses hanging in the sky.

"Something's not right, buddy," Vande whispered. "That mage's up to something... Is he trying to drag us down with him...?"

The pain intensified, and tears of blood streamed down Chu Hengkong's face. Concealing his presence and relying solely on the Kingdom of Despair to wear down the enemy was an excellent tactic for the weakened Vansalar. But he didn't believe the enemy would do that; how could that uncontrollable demon king allow himself to win in such a humiliating way?

Vansalar will surely launch a fair and square attack, but what exactly will his attack be—

"What's wrong, Chu Hengkong?"

The frenzied thunder pierced our eardrums.

The overwhelming energy shattered the sense of hearing in a literal sense.

"It's just stepping onto the battlefield; there's no way I'll fall because of it."

"Come on, let's continue. The dizziness from the fall should have subsided by now. I'm right here!"

A blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and orbs of electricity burst forth in the air like eyes in the clouds. The incredible thunder came from this very spot.

Chu Hengkong looked up at the sound. In the flashing lightning, he saw despair.

It was a tyrannical and terrifying divine body, with deep blue plasma flowing through the dark clouds, carving out a ferocious face. A crescent moon hung below, streaks of lightning clinging to it—the mouth created by tearing through the clouds. This image reminded him of the demonic whirlwind that had once attacked the city, but its presence was far greater. The moment he recognized the true form of that demonic face, a chill pierced his bones like needles.

That was merely the Demon King's "torso".

It was the body that should have been the vital point.

Billions of demonic spirits piled up in the shadows, forming the Demon King's sharp claws. A crown, forged from black bone and horns, was placed upon his indescribable countenance. Numerous sharp spikes within the crown pierced the Demon King's skull like instruments of torture. Blood flowed continuously, settling on the Demon King's unchanging smile.

When it speaks, it unleashes a world-shaking storm; when it thinks, it triggers thunder that shakes heaven and earth; its very existence is a nightmare for all living beings; it is an extremely evil deity who controls fear.

The source of fear, the demon star, the collapsing god, Van Salal!

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

Vande began to scream. His initial resolve and self-perceived strength crumbled the moment he recognized the existence of the other. This was not his fault, nor was it related to strength. How could a mortal who had not crossed the Second Abyss possibly defeat an immortal god?

The howl enraged the Demon King, and as it swung its giant fist, it seemed to stir the entire sky. Vande's mind went blank; it couldn't even think straight, yet it realized it had moved. Chu Hengkong, sword in hand, leaped into the sky, slashing at the Demon King's fist with his deadly blade!

“Vande, well done!” he roared as he swung his knife. “I’ll buy you time, just keep building up your fear!”

The blood-red blade etched itself into his fist, and a shadow swept past them like a tsunami. Vande froze completely, forgetting even to utter a sound. Chu Hengkong thought it was acting according to the plan, but in reality, it was terrified.

It wanted to say thank you for your trust, that you, Chu Hengkong, truly are a fearless and unparalleled hero, but that it, Fan De, was truly going to be a coward this time. What's the point of fighting anymore? Just close your eyes and die!

"As expected, that guy was your trump card." The Demon King's laughter thundered. "So you're a demon with courage after all. Let me see the trust between you two!"

"Don't add fuel to the fire at this time!" Fan De was incoherent, forcing himself to regain his senses, "Damn it, damn it, damn it, I'm giving you time—!"

The world before his eyes tilted, the overwhelming impact nearly rendering Vande speechless. Chu Hengkong was struck by another giant fist, causing his Bloodflame Cloak to shatter briefly, and the agony of being crucified instantly seeped into Vande's body. He nearly slipped out of his pocket, quickly hooking his tentacles onto the coat. At that moment, the ghostly face descended from the sky, Vansalal's fists clasped together as if preparing for another impact.

Chu Hengkong raised his murderous blade high and slashed down recklessly. However, just before the blow struck, the demonic fist dissipated, and its body transformed into a shadow, forming a sphere resembling a city, sealing Chu Hengkong and Fan De inside.

The power of the Land of Despair rendered incantations unnecessary, and an unprecedentedly complex spell was completed in an instant. Vansalar raised the sphere and delivered his final curse to the corrupted celestial globe.

claustrophobia.

"Void Shadow Technique - Shadow Devouring Sphere"

Chu Heng stood silently in the center of the sphere, disoriented, as all he could see was darkness, and magic seemed to be pulling him from all directions. The machine told him that the sphere was slowly rotating, and he immediately recalled the scene of the night transforming into a swarm of bats, thus becoming more alert.

"It's the same old routine again...!"

The night was stained crimson, as if a wound had been ripped open, and countless blood-red mouths burst forth from all directions. These were the greedy and brutal maws of beasts, unleashing countless bites simultaneously, leaving the prisoner in the shadows with nowhere to escape!

He slashed the beast's jaws, making a breakthrough. Now he was in dire straits, and even severely wounded, he had to launch a swift attack. Reason pointed to the only way out, but emotion severed it. Vand was still here; even if this method allowed him to escape the celestial sphere, it couldn't save Vand.

Chu Hengkong forced out his strength, detonating his crimson aura into a sphere. At the same moment, he activated his Disintegration Ray, exchanging a completely unwise price for widespread destruction in a short period. The first wave of beasts was defeated, but a second wave was generated instead. The celestial sphere quietly shrank in the Demon King's hands, leaving them nowhere to escape.

Chu Hengkong then grabbed the Eye Demon and gripped it tightly in his wrist. He reached into his robes, completely abandoning his side defense, and charged forward recklessly. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. The celestial sphere transformed into a narrow cage, barely wide enough for one person to stand, with countless beastly mouths tearing at the assassin. He roared, forcing out all his strength to swing his blade.

Without a single complaint or urging, they all agreed to the battle plan, and he believed that his comrades would succeed!

Vande witnessed everything, forcing back its tears; a sense of responsibility overcame its fear. When someone trusts you so deeply, you must never respond with tears.

The connection point was confirmed, the coordinate calculation was completed, and the essence of the divine reversal was analyzed through two experiences. It raised its weapon, a paintbrush obtained from the demon king's messenger, a paintbrush that made fear a reality.

This is their battle plan. Since the Demon King loves fear so much, let him see the most terrifying thing in the world!

"Alright, let's go!" Vande roared, "The old days have returned, the Abyss has descended!!"

Its paintbrush trembled at that moment, cracks spreading across its sturdy tip. The level 5 relic had shattered; even the longing of a calamity species could not bear the re-enactment of this memory. In the instant the paintbrush shattered completely, its tip drew a droplet of water.

Water droplets floated, swelled, and split into swirling droplets, forming swirling eddies. The transparent eddies expanded in an instant, like a galaxy formed by the sea. The beast's mouth was crushed by the edge of the eddies, and the shadows were swallowed by the raging rain. It shattered the Shadow-Eating Sphere and shattered the Demon King's thunder, hanging like a chasm at the top of the Kingdom of Despair.

The pain of the dismemberment suddenly lessened, and the invulnerable divine body solidified anew. The reversal of the God of Collapse's divine heart was disrupted, and the vortex reconnected the battlefield with the outside world. It was a feat that even Vansalar could not erase, a strike that once impacted the entire Realm of Shock.

A colossal void that tore apart the sea of ​​illusions!

“So that’s how it is. No wonder that old man Olek was furious…” Vansalal laughed happily. “So it was you, little twilight thing!”

Vande landed with Chu Hengkong. It looked up at the Demon King, its gaze becoming unusually clear. It uttered a clear, rebuking voice: "King of Nightmares, Vandesalar! You should have died long ago. Even if you were resurrected through a treacherous scheme, how can you repeat the same mistakes!"

“A repeat of the same mistakes? That’s a very apt phrase,” Vansalar said, scratching his chin with amusement. “That’s exactly what I hope for, that I’ll face the same end again!”

The unprecedentedly terrifying vortex swirled, like invisible fangs tearing apart and obliterating the Kingdom of Despair. Just as the vortex was about to touch the divine body, Vansalar remained unmoved. Suddenly, a dim black light shot out, clamping down firmly on the edge of the void.

Those were withered wings, only a single wing remaining as skeleton, its shape resembling the claw of an undead. The once magnificent wings of the gods had been destroyed in centuries of battle, now only bare bones remained. Yet it was this skeletal claw that grasped the Great Void, the indescribable power of the evil god, allowing its true form to contend with concepts.

"Don't make that face. You don't really think... you can defeat me with an attack of this level, do you?" The Demon King chuckled.

Shadows swirled between the bones of the wing, forming an illusory "wing membrane." The shadows coalesced into vivid images, creating a scene familiar to both Chu Hengkong and Fan De. The demonic sword wielded with the Divine Slash, the explosive power gained through the Remnant Heart Secret Technique, the secret teachings of Dragon Spring Village, the functions of the True Weapon, the power of the Calamity Arm…

Every imaginable attack appeared between the wing membranes, even those developments existing only in probability were reproduced by the shadows. They were arranged in order of height according to some pattern, with the Shadowy Sky Stream at the top almost leaping out of the Death Wing. But dark claw marks seeped into the wing membranes, tearing the entire scene apart.

Thus, the possibility that should have existed "disappeared".

Chu Hengkong realized he could no longer wield his sword, because the development after the strike had been prematurely "cut off" by the wing. The future was erased, the actions to come were eliminated, all possibilities were captured, and every action was a dead end. Thus, there was no afterward, and no future existed.

All we can do is stand still in the present moment, waiting for death to come.

This is the most vicious and evil magic of the Demon King Vansalal. Wings that extinguish hope and bear the name of despair.

Void Shadow Technique: Death Wings of the Void!

"No way, the battle plan is over already? Chongming's sword, Wacro's pen, is that all?"

Vansalar sighed in disappointment.

"...Is this all you've got?"

"Yeah, it's over."

Chu Hengkong replied calmly.

"We have no more trump cards left. As you can see, these are all the skills that Van der and I have."

He moved the blade, pointing it directly at the Demon King. A smile played on his face, a smile of confidence born of unwavering conviction.

"—However, the two of us won't be the only ones fighting you!"

Above the Deathwing of the Sky, the seemingly certain future suddenly blurred. The shadow that had extinguished all possibility fluctuated violently, and the addition of new variables made the future full of possibilities once again. Vansalar looked up in surprise and saw a roar resounding from the center of the great vortex, as ice and snow solidified into a long dragon that descended. The dragon merged with the vortex, materialized, and transformed into a towering column of water!

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Akong. We're here to help you!"

A dashing knight descended from the vortex, casting purifying fire to heal Chu Hengkong's wounds. She single-handedly lifted the Sea-Stabilizing Needle, using the power of divine magic to stir the vortex. The Azure Armor Army's water control abilities, amplified by their desire to protect others, reached their peak, causing the vortex to tilt towards the Demon King's body.

The previously stagnant balance was thus broken. The vortex obliterated the image in the Death Wing, and the Stabilizing Needle was tilting towards Vansalal, forming a bridge between heaven and earth to the Demon King!

"Well done, partner!"

"What a joke, when have I ever disappointed you?" Ji Huaisu wanted to touch her nose, but suddenly couldn't move. Seeing her own movement emerge from within the Death Wing, she vaguely guessed what was about to happen. "Damn it, this old bastard is cunning! A-Kong, you hurry up and go! I'll take care of Vande!"

Chu Heng threw out the Eye Demon and ran onto the Sea-Stabilizing Needle. He raised his hand and pointed to the sky, and a thin beam of blood-red light rose up. It burned and grew with the darkness as fuel, sweeping across the entire Kingdom of Despair like wildfire.

Having patiently endured since the start of the battle, the Soul-Reversing Reincarnation Technique has finally been activated. Last time, it devoured the Azure Scar of the Loving Mother; this time, its target is the Despair Kingdom shattered by the vortex!

"You actually want to devour my kingdom?" Vansalar laughed with delight. "Then you will suffer my torment!"

Regret, anger, confusion, despair. The emotions belonging to the Demon King flowed into his heart at this moment, and fragments of memories that were not his own flashed before his eyes. Chu Hengkong swallowed them whole, as if swallowing deadly poison. His aura grew stronger and stronger, and his terrifying power seemed to be about to burst his body apart.

The Great Void disrupted spatial stability, preventing Vansalar from manipulating the world as easily as before. Its death wings fluttered, scattering countless demons, while its crossed arms blocked Chu Hengkong's path. A vast horde of beasts surged forward like a tidal wave, but Chu Hengkong ignored them, charging straight ahead. Thousands of bullets whistled behind him, carving holes through the beasts with chilling killing intent.

The Wheel of Judgment leaped through the vortex, the alien gunslingers following closely behind, arriving on the battlefield. Vandal cried out urgently, "You only have one chance!"

“Then it’s the same as usual,” Shakes said. “One decisive blow!”

Before Vand could warn him, the Wheel of Judgment had already disintegrated. Three rings floated before the muzzle, and Shax pulled the trigger as he fell. The bullet, accelerated to its maximum speed, transformed into a beam of judgment, piercing the Demon King's crossed hands.

The final obstacle was thus cleared away, and Chu Hengkong ran to the other end of the divine needle. When he drew his sword, the divine slash dimmed, turning as black as ink.

It was a silent stab, without sound, without trajectory, devoid of any righteous aura, leaving only a sinister and vicious killing intent. The blade pierced the divine body, its intent flowing like blood, seeping into the "bones" supporting the massive form. Then, the killing intent surged, the blood froze, and the pitch-black shadow materialized into blades, transforming into thousands of sharp needles piercing the demon king's colossal body!

A sword of assassination that reverses the mechanisms of sin and bone for attack, bringing endless torment. Insidious, vicious, and tyrannical, it was created during the most desperate years and was long abandoned by its original owner.