By the time the demons finally closed in on them, their plans had already shifted, and they were prepared for the inevitable confrontation they could no longer avoid. Now, with a clear, open space stretching out in all directions and no restricting formations controlled by the demons, the terrain favored them. Considering that their enemies had previously targeted Yichen—likely due to confirming that he carried dragon blood—Zhu Yan was determined not to let him out of his sight.
The encounter with the four remaining demons unfolded swiftly this time. Du Wu and Yu She faced Huan Jing directly, leaving him no opportunity to devise further schemes. Their desire for vengeance burned so fiercely that nothing could stand in their way—not even the sly, treacherous fox who had manipulated events for far too long. With Wen Xiao's regained insight, they intercepted him precisely at the spot she had foreseen and forced him with relentless attacks to back off from the rest of the demons that the group was going to deal with.
They gradually faded into the background, the sound of their fight growing faint as the rest of the group concentrated on their own battles. Each set of them had deliberately worked to isolate the remaining demons, engaging them in combat across four distinct spots. Though the locations were close enough to maintain some cohesion, they were spaced just far enough apart to ensure their fights wouldn't overlap or disrupt one another.
During one confrontation, Zhu Yan, Yichen, and Yun Guang stood against the Black Calamity. Elsewhere, Li Lun, Wen Xiao, and Pei Sijing faced off against Chan Chen, the Mountain Demon. Meanwhile, in the final battleground, Ying Lei, Bai Jiu, Pei Siheng, and Zhuo Yixuan fought fiercely against the Scarlet Demon.
The Black Calamity was a threat they were familiar with and had battled before, but this time, without Li Lun by their side, their approach had to adapt. Yun Guang changed his human form into someone the demon would not recognize, because this was crucial against the Black Calamity. They were already aware of his weakness, and Yichen's inherited freezing abilities would be more than sufficient to deal with him when the right moment came.
Golden lightning spiraled toward them, crackling with raw energy, like serpents weaving through the air, as an oppressive darkness began to envelop the pair. Prepared for this onslaught, Yichen unleashed his azure flames, forming a protective barrier that held the encroaching shadows at bay, denying them any chance to launch a covert strike against him.
With his Truth Eye piercing through the dense shroud of demonic energy, Zhu Yan tracked the movements of the Black Calamity with precision. Not a single bolt struck Yichen as Zhu Yan deftly deflected each one.
Yet, his irritation simmered beneath the surface as the relentless focus on his beloved threatened to unnerve him—though his composed demeanor betrayed none of it. Both Yichen and Yun Guang unleashed sweeping waves of power that effortlessly sliced through the veils of darkness. But their adversary was far from cornered—lightning and shadow were merely fragments of the arsenal that the Black Calamity had at its disposal.
Up to this point, he had been focused on testing the abilities of the other two powers, as Huan Jing found it difficult to discern their true potential when they acted in unison. This was why his attention initially shifted to the young dragon. By the standards of his species, the dragon was still practically a child, just beginning to grasp control over his abilities. His talents were far from fully matured, with the exception of his proficiency in fire and shapeshifting.
He found himself deeply perplexed by the sight of a young dragon accompanying Li Lun on his enigmatic quest upon returning from the human realm. Even Huan Jing couldn't decipher the purpose behind this peculiar partnership with weird demons, only sensing that it would inevitably trigger changes in the future of the demon world. He had warned them that the impending changes would not favor high-ranking demons like themselves, insisting that Li Lun's plans needed to be thwarted.
Yet, as he observed the pair in front of him and tested their resolve, he couldn't help but ponder their true intentions. One of them clearly emanated strong demonic energy, a true demon through and through. But the dragon child was different—his presence radiated an unexpected purity, a quality that felt irreconcilable with the dark nature of their world.
Despite the peculiarities of that group, the mission remained unchanged. Though he held no affection for the sly fox or any of the other demons under his control, their goals coincided, and their partnership had proven beneficial thus far. As a chaos demon, he found Huan Jing's manipulative tendencies ideal for channeling the chaos he spread wherever he wandered, ultimately strengthening his own power.
Now that he had several strange demons to test his abilities, including those he despised most, like dragons, he saw no further reason to maintain their alliance any longer. He had already achieved a power great enough to rival the gods. Power, after all, manifested in myriad ways and even without reaching the highest levels of cultivation, one could always discover alternative paths to transcend limitations, especially if one possessed the primordial essence of Chaos within their core.
Even if dragons held a trace of divinity as remnants of ancient divine beasts, a mere child and a peculiar demon stood no chance against the secret weapon he had meticulously crafted over thousands of years since the demons had been sealed within that realm. This weapon was his preparation to face his greatest challenge, the formidable and highly feared son of Ying Long. The great demon Zhu Yan, back in the mortal world.
With Li Lun's return, still at the height of his power, he could bring everything crashing down for miles in every direction. No one would escape the fury of his primordial spell. A jolt of joy crossed all over his dark essence as he relished the thought of finally seizing the perfect moment to unleash it. It was almost regrettable that Bing Yi was no longer around to witness it with those striking, glowing eyes of his. Not that it would have mattered—this time, no freezing spell, no matter how formidable, would suffice to bring him down.
He unleashed a relentless storm of golden bolts, keeping the demons below occupied while he summoned his strength for the launch of his ultimate weapon. No one had ever witnessed it, not even Bing Yi during the clash with the gods, for he had learned the hard way not to underestimate a god's icy might. Bing Yi had once come perilously close to ending his life, and now that dragon child would face the consequences of inheriting a dragon lineage that he hated most of all.
For Yichen, evading the golden bolts while wielding Yun Guang came effortlessly—a skill that seemed equally easy for Zhu Yan. However, tension spiked when Zhu Yan detected a rising wave of dark energy surrounding them. A sinister purple fog began to billow from the ground, twisting upward to intertwine with the oppressive black clouds saturated with the Black Calamity's demonic force. Recognizing the impending threat before it fully materialized, Zhu Yan swiftly summoned his most formidable barrier to deflect the incoming bolts and, without hesitation, grabbed Yichen's free hand.
"This isn't just any ordinary attack. He's not called the Black Calamity for nothing. Baobei, you need to prepare yourself to unleash your strongest freezing spell across this entire area—on both the ground and the sky above. Wait for my signal; I'll protect you while you focus on gathering the energy you need." Yichen nodded resolutely, fully aware that whatever was approaching promised nothing good.
"Come now, old monkey, you're not the only one here to guard my Didi. Let him bring forth all his power. I've beaten him once before, and no matter what tricks he's learned since the war, we'll defeat him again," Yun Guang declared confidently, while Zhu Yan let out a weary sigh.
"Who are you calling old? You were practically ancient by the time I was born," Zhu Yan shot back, prompting a smile from Yichen.
"Ge, you know that's a sensitive topic for him. He's my husband now. Don't tease him when we're about to face a real battle." They couldn't afford distractions, though this sort of banter wasn't unfamiliar territory for the trio amid chaos.
"Alright, go ahead and do what you must, Didi. Leave the rest to us; we will handle all his tricks. Let Ying Long's own energy help you with your freezing spell. He understands Bing Yi better than anyone, and, being a dragon himself, he can give you exactly the amount of energy you need to accomplish anything," Yun Guang said, his attention fixed on the swirling storm of malicious energy. He pondered the outcome, wondering if it would unleash a formidable attack or something even more sinister.
"Ā Yan... be careful," Yichen murmured to his husband, who responded with a charming smile. Zhu Yan found him utterly adorable in moments like these. It wasn't that Yichen doubted his own ability to handle himself; rather, he understood that when facing chaos demons, certainty was a rare luxury, for these creatures had roamed the world since its very beginning.
As Yichen focused intently on gathering energy for his lethal assault, Zhu Yan and Yun Guang unleashed their own attacks. However, the Black Calamity's defenses stood firm, and they watched in awe as something immense began to materialize in the stormy sky above the demon.
"What is that?" Yun Guang murmured, his gaze fixed on the stormy heavens. Dark clouds churned violently, condensing into what appeared to be a colossal spinning wheel composed of ominous energy. The purple mist that had long plagued the demon world began to ascend, drawn into the gathering dark clouds above. All around, a powerful wind howled, swirling with an intensity that felt like the prelude to an impending typhoon.
The wheel bore nine distinct points, each inscribed with a cryptic symbol. These symbols rotated in chaotic energy, glowing faintly as they intertwined with golden flashes streaking through the heavy clouds. The terrifying sight was visible even from the distant locations where others were waging their own battles.
The emergence of the wheel brought every fight to a standstill. A chilling sense of foreboding radiated from it, suffocating the battlefield with an overwhelming aura of despair. It felt as if the world itself teetered on the brink of destruction, ready to collapse under a calamity so immense it could fracture the very fabric of reality.
The force emanating from the spinning wheel was overwhelming, so much so that everyone present—enemies and allies alike—felt it reverberate deep within their very bones. Zhu Yan and Li Lun were no exception, let alone the humans, who had never encountered the oppressive weight of demonic energy in their lives. They scrambled to erect multiple layers of magical shields in a desperate effort to withstand the crushing intensity.
"What... What is this?" Yichen gasped, his knees giving out under the sheer weight of the energy despite the protective barrier crafted by Zhu Yan around him.
His abrupt weakness came not just from the overwhelming demonic pressure, which far surpassed his own spiritual energy, but also from the air itself, seeming to drain his strength. One of the wheel symbols glowed with a darker intensity, as if absorbing their life force were a prelude to the first calamity about to be unleashed over them all.
"It's a chaos spell," Yun Guang replied, his voice strained as he too grappled with the suffocating pressure. "A forbidden art from an age long past. Casting devastation born from chaos demands an unfathomable volume of dark energy—far beyond what anyone should be able to amass on their own, even over centuries!"
"This can't be happening. The Black Calamity shouldn't have become this powerful after the war!" Li Lun shouted, fighting hard against the external force to remain on his feet. It felt eerily similar to the time Zhu Yan unleashed his demonic energy over the forest in the human world—but now, it was a hundred times more overwhelming. Back then, Zhu Yan had only released a tenth of his strength, but this pressure hit with unrestrained force.
"Ying Lei, we need to regroup! Can you transfer us back to Zhu Yan?!" Wen Xiao called out through their mental connection, fully aware that the chaos unfolding wouldn't spare a single soul. The other demons were just as helpless, focused solely on shielding themselves while cursing the Black Calamity with equal fury.
Ying Lei struggled to keep his footing, his voice strained as he replied, "I'd love to, but I can barely withstand this pressure! My strength feels like it's being drained away!" Just as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him, an orb materialized in front of him, as well as before Bai Jiu, Pei Siheng, Zhuo Yixuan, and every other member of their unit—including Du Wu and Yu She.
"Grab it!" Zhu Yan commanded with urgency. Without hesitation, they all reached out toward the orbs, which swiftly drew them into the small dimensions that Zhu Yan had created for them.
The glowing orbs shot through the roaring winds, speeding toward Zhu Yan's location. One by one, they landed at his feet inside the protective barrier, reuniting the group, as Zhu Yan own powers were being drained by the influence of the wheel too, forcing him to release them from the temporary dimensions as he could not mantain them for long.
Among all the humans, only Ying Lei managed to remain standing alongside the demons. This was due to the bloodline he inherited from Kunlun, the mountain deity, whose resilience far surpassed that of ordinary beings.
Up in the sky, the Black Calamity manifested in his human form, surveying the chaos below with a grim sense of fulfillment. Those beneath him knelt, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of his power. Even if the mightiest demons continued to resist, it was only a matter of time before they too would fall victim to the unrelenting force of his Nine Calamity Wheel.
With a booming voice, he declared, "Behold the true power of chaos! Life Force Drain!" A devastating wave of energy surged forth, slamming into all in its path. Many were left coughing up blood as the life force of the land itself was mercilessly siphoned away.
"Yichen!" Zhu Yan shouted, acting swiftly. He summoned two additional barriers to counter the draining spell and rushed to his husband's side, holding him tightly. Nearby, Li Lun mirrored his actions, cradling Yixuan protectively.
"Cursed you, Sheng Hei! You intended this all along!" Huan Jing roared, his energy steadily ebbing away at a terrifying speed.
Huan Jing was undeniably a powerful demon, teetering on the brink of becoming a great one. However, much of his might stemmed from the cultivation of other demons, which he had stolen over the centuries. This reliance made his foundation far more fragile compared to those who painstakingly nurtured their power bit by bit. As a result, under such dire circumstances, his strength was slipping away with alarming ease.
If he were completely drained of his cultivation, his core would shatter, just as he had shattered the cores of Zhimei and Gu Yue—who were likely mocking him from the darkest depths of hell right now. How could he not have seen this coming?!
"Qiongqi! You've foresake us all!" Huan Jing roared in fury, coming to terms with the bitter truth—he had been nothing more than a pawn, just like all the others ensnared by the oppressive power of the core spell.
A violent cough wracked his body, blood splattering as his strength ebbed away, leaving him defenseless against the malevolent energy coiling in from every direction. Tendrils of sinister darkness slithered toward him, ominous and relentless, like predators sensing their wounded prey.
Foxfire could counteract such a dark force, but sustaining it required an immense reserve of cultivation—something Huan Jing no longer possessed as his vitality drained rapidly. Still, mustering what little strength remained, he conjured a circle of vibrant purple flames in a desperate bid to shield himself. Yet, the flames were swiftly extinguished by the charged wind, leaving him vulnerable once more.
Panic overtook him. Spell after spell poured from his trembling hands, each aimed at repelling the encroaching tendrils, but none gained purchase. One by one, his efforts crumbled into futility. Exhausted and defenseless, his form gave way to its true essence—a majestic nine-tailed fox collapsing onto the ground. There was no mercy for him as the dark tendrils lashed out, piercing his flesh and shattering bone with a cruel, unrelenting force.
The agonized howls that erupted from him reverberated across the battlefield, carried grimly to the ears of Du Wu and Yu She, who remained trapped within Zhu Yan's impervious barrier. Hearing his cries, they couldn't help but feel a dark satisfaction in the Black Calamity's betrayal of them all.
They had long desired revenge of their own but found some solace in hearing his torment, hearing the moment in which his core became nothing more than a flash of light and shining dust sucked by the wheel. Yet even there, under the weight of Zhu Yan's powerful protection, they struggled to breathe, let alone muster the strength to act against the terrifying force that now dominated them.
"Li Lun, Zhu Yan! Do something, or we're all going to die here!" Bai Jiu shouted desperately, his voice sharp with urgency. Meanwhile, Ying Lei frantically reinforced their defenses, layering several talismans onto their barrier while using his Kunlun sword to keep the malicious energy from the earth beneath them at bay. But the strain proved too much—his energy spent, he collapsed to the ground, unable to push any further.
Nearby, Yixuan unleashed his golden dragon, its shimmering form spiraling around Zhu Yan's barrier in a protective coil. Yet the relentless assault continued. Hundreds of dark trails surged from both above and below, accompanied by translucent butterflies that swarmed toward their shield like a malevolent tide.
"Get down!" Zhu Yan roared, casting Yichen aside as he rose to his feet. Demonic energy crackled around him, and with a fierce thrust of power, he sent a massive wave of crimson energy hurtling forward to counter the onslaught of the Black Calamity.
The collision was catastrophic. Red clashed violently with black, unleashing a titanic shockwave that obliterated everything in its path. Trees splintered into nothingness, the grass was scorched to ash, and even the two remaining demons—struggling in vain against the unrelenting forces—were eradicated by the overwhelming destruction.
The earth trembled violently, splitting under the force of the destruction. Li Lun summoned his strongest vines, imbued with his power, to strike at the ominous wheel. But the Black Calamity only laughed at his feeble effort. The butterflies descending upon the vines reduced them to nothing more than a fleeting dust in the wind.
Next, Pei Sijing loosed her arrows, aiming for a weakness, but they vanished into the swirling clouds, never nearing their mark. Bai Jiu attempted to channel his divine energy into her bow, but the oppressive force from the second calamity surged around them, cursing and breaking their concentration. Even Zhu Yan, usually unshakable, struggled to remain standing, forcing Li Lun to prop him up.
Nearby, Yichen's screams pierced the chaos. The intricate icy tattoos on his skin—once glowing with life as he gathered energy before the wheel's manifestation—turned ominously dark. The curse clawed through his body like searing flames coursing through his veins. Others weren't spared either; while they suffered less intensely, Yichen writhed on the ground, his body spasming in agony.
Zhu Yan's demonic energy flared wildly out of control as he dropped to his knees beside Yichen. He tried frantically to reverse the damage before it became irreversible, his desperation mounting with every passing moment.
"Forget about me! Destroy the wheel!" Yichen bellowed through gritted teeth, each word strained with excruciating pain. He fought to silence his cries, hoping to steady Zhu Yan, whose trembling emotions teetered dangerously toward complete loss of control. The air crackled with tension as their fleeting hope hung by a thread.
"If I stop, your body won't endure this level of damage and survive! You come first!" Zhu Yan shouted, fear gripping his heart as he keep his healing.
"I've got him! I swear, no one here will fall to some dark curse! I've inherited the power of life itself—nothing can stand against that!" Bai Jiu declared with unwavering determination. In this moment, he was more than just a demon hunter; he was a healer, a beacon of hope.
Using every ounce of strength in his frail body, Bai Jiu focused on absorbing whatever energy Yixuan could tirelessly purify. With great effort, he channeled it into the earth, which began to shimmer with a brilliant green light. From the glowing ground, white shoots rapidly sprouted and grew, maturing into small trees at an alarming speed. Their golden blossoms released a fine pollen that, upon touching the skin of the injured, soothed wounds and brought relief to broken skin.
Wen Xiao sat behind Bai Jiu and placed her hand firmly on his back, transferring her own energy to sustain him. Following her example, Yin Lei quickly followed suit, and soon Pei Sijing and her brother added their strength to the effort. Their combined power caused the trees to grow even taller, their luminescent white branches weaving over the protective barrier.
At the same time, Du Wu and Yu She pooled their energy into Li Lun, who channeled it into Yixuan. This allowed Yixuan to maintain the flow of cleansing energy, enabling Bai Jiu to continue drawing from it. Together, they worked seamlessly, their united efforts standing as a testament to their bond and unyielding resolve in the face of darkness.
"Zhu Yan... I'm in good hands. You are the strongest demon in both the human and demon realms. Don't let him use me against you. I'm tougher than this—I won't let a chaos demon get the better of me. Go fight him with everything you've got, and trust me—I'll do what I must, no matter what. You always say Ying Long is with me... but he's not my only shield. Go now." Yichen spoke with as much conviction as he could muster. He believed every word, but beyond that, he needed Zhu Yan to believe them too.
"I can help as well," Yun Guang added, his voice calm yet resolute. "I'm a sword spirit forged from an unbreakable steel and fortified by divine power. His tricks don't affect me like they do others. Let's unleash chaos together like we did in the old days. Show your true strength, and let your husband see for himself the power you wield. He will be proud, I'm sure of it." Yichen turned to offer Zhu Yan a small, tender smile, his hand lifting to gently caress his face.
"I will, Ā Yan. Even baby dragons can bite back," Yichen whispered with quiet resolve, finding a trace of humor despite the dire situation. It was self-deprecating, but it brought a sharp intake of breath from Zhu Yan, who struggled to hold back tears. In that moment, it hit him again—Yichen's unwavering spirit transcended even the torment he bore. His willpower was indomitable.
"And I'll bite too," Zhu Yan vowed, his tone grave and unyielding. "Even if I have to tear down what my father created, I'll never let anyone hurt you under my watch or otherwise. Nor will I allow them to revel in your suffering." Yichen's expression darkened slightly as he shook his head at Zhu Yan's declaration.
"You're a creation demon, not one born for destruction," he admonished, though his voice retained warmth laced with lighthearted reproach. "If you even think about destroying this realm, I swear I'll slap you back to your senses, you reckless monkey." Although Yichen tried to inject humor into his words, the weight of his meaning was clear—and Zhu Yan heard it loud and clear.
Wordlessly, Zhu Yan helped Yichen to sit upright as golden pollen showered softly around them. Bound by emotion and resolve, Zhu Yan leaned down and pressed a quick but fierce kiss to Yichen's lips before gently lowering him back to the ground.
"Wait for me, Baobei..." Zhu Yan murmured, his voice reverberating with a quiet intensity as his mortal form began to change.
His hair turned an alabaster white, his eyes blazing crimson like embers of fury, and his skin gained a serpentine texture that gleamed with a silver sheen. Raising one hand calmly yet with deadly precision, Zhu Yan called forth Yun Guang's true form. The sword spirit dissolved into brilliant light before reforming in his grasp, the weapon pulsating with an energy that hung heavy with anticipation.
Zhu Yan stood tall, radiating an aura of power that set the battlefield aflame with tension—and determination etched itself clearly on both their faces as their fated battle loomed near.
AN: Sorry to end this in a cliffhanger, but I am in the middle of a blackout, which kind of set the mood for writing this, but sadly it drains all my batteries away, as it has been several hours already with no hope to come soon. I hope you like this first part, because the next is going to go all out. Pissed Zhu Yan and protective Yichen are no joke when they mean business. Until next time, take care.