I faced the demon.
It was a Kwangdong, a demon taller than an ordinary human being. It walked on two legs and had two massive arms. Its body was covered in rough, dark skin that looked tougher than iron, while every heavy step it took left shallow footprints in the ground. A foul demonic aura drifted around it like black smoke, making the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.
Ella and Casper immediately hid when I approached the demon.
The two of them wisely retreated behind a cluster of broken rocks, peeking out only enough to watch the battle unfold. Neither of them had the courage to stand beside me against such a creature.
The demon had just finished its latest meal.
Fresh blood still stained the corners of its mouth, and scraps of flesh were caught between its jagged teeth. It slowly licked its lips, savoring the taste as though it had not eaten enough.
When I stopped before it, the demon noticed my presence and slowly ran its long tongue across its lips.
"What do we have here?" it said with a sinister grin. "Another dinner... and a very powerful one at that."
It stared at me greedily.
"Such strong demonic energy. With your cultivation, I’ll finally be able to ascend. You’ll fill my stomach nicely."
The demon burst into laughter.
I laughed as well.
"Very well."
"You seem satisfied with my cultivation level."
I smiled wider.
"I, too, am very satisfied with yours."
I slowly looked it up and down as though judging the quality of a meal placed before me.
"It should serve my appetite quite well."
"A very large... fat meal."
I laughed again.
The demon stopped laughing and stared at me as though I had gone insane.
Its eyes narrowed.
It seemed completely confused by what I had just said.
"Why did you stop laughing?" I asked with a grin.
"Come on."
"Laugh."
The demon frowned for a moment before laughing once more.
"What an amusing meal you are."
"But unfortunately..."
"I’m going to eat you now!"
With a furious roar, the demon lunged toward me.
The ground exploded beneath its feet, sending dirt and broken stones flying in every direction. Its enormous body shot through the air with shocking speed despite its size.
Its gigantic arm swung downward while the massive hammer it carried crashed toward me like a falling mountain.
Seeing the attack, I immediately activated my skill.
I dug straight into the ground.
The earth burst apart around me as loose soil scattered everywhere. My body disappeared beneath the surface in an instant, leaving behind nothing but a cloud of dust.
A heartbeat later, I burst out from another patch of earth several meters away, just like a wild beast that hunted beneath the ground.
As I emerged, I swung my fist toward the demon.
The punch landed squarely against its body.
The demon was blasted backward.
It flew through the air before crashing into a massive tree in the distance.
The enormous trunk cracked loudly from the impact.
Fortunately, there were no houses nearby.
Otherwise, the damage would have spread to the nearby mortals.
The last thing I needed was that annoying System deducting my hard-earned points because a few humans happened to get crushed during my fight.
The demon slowly climbed back to its feet.
Smoke poured from its nostrils and ears, while its entire face turned red with rage. Its thick muscles twitched violently, and the veins across its arms bulged as demonic energy surged through its body. The surrounding trees trembled beneath the pressure of its aura.
"You are going to pay for what you did to me!" the demon roared.
"I thought you would be a fun meal. I wanted to enjoy myself before eating you, but look at what you’ve done."
"To hell with you!"
The demon took a heavy step forward, then another. It opened its mouth and released a series of deep, powerful breaths, as though it wanted to blow me away.
Each breath became a violent gust of wind. Dust, broken branches, and loose stones were swept into the air, spinning wildly around us. Even the nearby trees bent under the force of the raging wind.
If it had been an ordinary cultivator, or someone below my current cultivation level, they would have been sent flying instantly.
I remained standing confidently, refusing to move an inch.
I launched myself toward the demon.
Seeing me charge forward, the demon increased the strength of its attack.
The wind grew even stronger.
"Oh..."
"This is bad."
I muttered inwardly.
The violent gale slammed into my body before I could get close.
It swept me away without mercy.
For a brief moment, my body completely lost balance, spinning helplessly through the air before I could regain control.
Bang!
I crashed straight into a nearby boulder.
The rock cracked from the impact.
Dust rained down around me.
I slowly sat up.
Although the collision had hurt, what truly bothered me was how embarrassing it looked.
I calmly brushed the dust from my clothes.
My expression remained as smug as ever.
I cackled.
"You are quite a challenge."
"This is fun."
"I suppose I’ll use you for practice."
It had been a long time since I had fought someone capable of making me move this much. Even if this demon was still beneath me, it was at least worthy of testing the strength of my restored body.
"Let me see whether I’ve still got some talent left."
I cracked my knuckles together.
Then I drew my sword.
The blade flashed as I rushed toward the demon.
I slashed.
The demon vanished.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword toward the spot where I predicted it would reappear.
But the demon disappeared again.
Its movements were strangely elusive, vanishing and reappearing like a ghost between one breath and the next.
Boom!
Before I could react, the demon suddenly appeared behind me.
Its enormous arms spread open before wrapping around my body.
It squeezed me tightly.
Its massive body completely engulfed me.
"Oh..."
"So that’s your plan."
"You intend to absorb me into your own body."
I smirked.
"What a disgusting skill."
The demon tightened its grip even further.
Its body began pulling me inward, trying to devour me whole.
I snorted.
"Do you truly think this skin is something you can swallow?"
With a roar, I activated my flames.
Purple fire erupted from every part of my body.
The scorching flames exploded outward like a volcanic eruption, instantly covering both me and the demon. The surrounding air distorted from the intense heat, while the ground beneath our feet blackened and cracked.
The demon let out a horrifying scream.
Its miserable shrieks echoed throughout the desolate forest.
Unable to withstand the flames any longer, it released me.
Both of us fell from the sky.
The demon crashed heavily onto the ground.
I landed lightly a short distance away.
Straightening my robes, I slowly walked toward it with a smirk.
"Very well."
"You’ve given me quite an enjoyable fight."
A smile slowly spread across my face. It had been a long time since I had enjoyed a battle this much.
"I wish I could find more demons like you."
"Demon King, please spare me! If I had known you were the Demon King, I would never have attacked you. Please... I am one of your people. Please!" the demon pleaded.
I smirked. I placed a hand on my chin, slowly rubbing it as I looked at the pitiful creature before me. Its massive body trembled without end, and the arrogance it had shown moments ago had completely disappeared, replaced by naked fear.
"I should spare you?" I chuckled. "Me, the Demon King, spare you? I am not your king anymore. Tell me... who is the new Demon King?"
"You... your brother, Caspian. He... he is the Demon King now."
I raised my sword.
"Thank you for the information."
I lifted my sword, preparing to slay the demon, but its fearful expression suddenly twisted into anger.
"You are a disgrace as the Demon King! Trying to help your enemies, hurting your own people... you are no king! You abandoned us! You—"
It kept talking.
I hissed, clicking my tongue in annoyance.
"Are you worthy of speaking about this king?" I said coldly. "Who spoke for this king when I was betrayed? Who stood by me when I was framed?"
Silence answered my questions. The demon’s mouth remained open, but not a single word came out.
With that, I swung my sword.
The blade sliced cleanly through the demon.
It instantly lost its breath, its enormous body collapsing onto the ground with a deafening thud. Dark demonic energy escaped from its body like smoke, drifting into the air before gathering toward me.
I stretched out my palm.
The demonic energy flowed into my body in streams, surging through my meridians before settling into my dantian. A familiar warmth spread throughout my body, making the corners of my lips curl upward.
I sensed my aura rising.
The ninth tier.
Soon, I would reach the Orbit Aura Realm.
"Very nice... very nice."
After everything was done, a system notification rang inside my mind.
Ding!
Young Hero has successfully slain evil and purified the possessed demon from its misery.
Reward: 500 Hero Points.
Reward: 100 Good Fortune Points.
Reward: 60 Reputation Points.
After the system finished announcing the rewards, I clicked my tongue.
"I only wanted a meal."