Chapter 134: Why Fear Death?

"Qingping Sword... So it was that person. No wonder the Demon Slave dared to rebel!" Mokuai said, the confusion he felt moments ago finally finding its answer.

He glanced at Moli, feeling a pang of sorrow, and muttered, "It is all my fault. It is my own negligence as the eldest brother! The celestial phenomenon of Mars entering the Heart Mansion had already appeared; we should have been on guard against that person long ago."

"The Planet of Calamity—are you referring to the Master of the Ghost Path?" Moxin asked with a furrowed brow.

"Indeed, it is he," Mokuai replied.

"In those years, even our Demon Ancestor was no match for him. Now that he has returned, I fear... our Demon Palace will be difficult to preserve!" Moxin was filled with worry. Having witnessed the battle between the Demon Ancestor and the Master of the Ghost Path back then, he knew that at his current level of cultivation, he was no more than an ant in the face of such a foe.

However, Mokuai let out a cold laugh.

"Second Brother, do not be intimidated by his reputation. Do not forget that the current Master of the Ghost Path is not the same person from back then. The Planet of Calamity has only just emerged; even if he truly is a heaven-sent prodigy, he is still nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears child. What is there to fear?"

Moxin nodded, saying, "In that case, let us slay him early to avenge our third brother! And clear the obstacles for our Demon Clan’s resurgence!"

At this, Mokuai commanded, "All Demon Generals, heed my order! Follow me into battle. Today, we shall slay the Master of the Ghost Path, slaughter every last Demon Slave, and exact vengeance for the Third Palace Master of our Wutong Demon Palace!"

The generals of the Demon Palace roared in unison, their voices echoing endlessly.

"Avenge the Third Palace Master!"

Just then, the Second Palace Master, Moxin, looked back at the woman in red and said, "With three thousand Demon Slaves as hostages, those outside the palace will surely not dare to act rashly!"

The woman in red glanced at the wine cup in her hand, a faint smile touching her lips. There was a cut on her finger, from which a trickle of blood was still seeping. She was of the Phoenix Clan, and that blood was, naturally, phoenix blood.

Shortly after, all three thousand members of the Phoenix Clan within the Wutong Demon Palace were bound, including the woman in red.

Palace Masters Mokuai and Moxin led their Demon Generals out of the Wutong Demon Palace, using the captured Phoenix clanspeople as leverage.

The Second Palace Master, Moxin, declared, "You Demon Slaves who dare to besiege the Demon Palace, your crimes are punishable by death! If you do not retreat and surrender the murderer of my third brother, these three thousand slaves behind me shall perish this very instant!"

"What joy is there in living, and what is there to fear in death!"

No sooner had Moxin finished speaking than the woman in red spoke these words. Behind her, the three thousand Phoenix clanspeople echoed the cry in unison.

"What joy is there in living, and what is there to fear in death!"

Their shouts reverberated over the Demon Palace, mingling with the baleful, malevolent aura that shrouded the structure.

Enraged, Moxin waved his hand, sending a wave of energy sweeping outward. The Phoenix clanspeople were all blasted backward, crashing to the ground. Yet, they scrambled to their feet, glaring at Moxin with eyes full of fury, not a single one showing a hint of fear.

"Shut your mouths, or I shall kill you all right now!" Moxin bellowed.

The woman in red looked back at her kin, and their voices gradually faded.

Seeing this, I turned to the old clan leader, but he said, "The Phoenix Clan has endured humiliation and survived for a millennium; today, we may be killed, but we shall not be humiliated! Submission and compromise have never been the solution. Palace Master, they will not be a stumbling block to our conquest of the Demon Palace; they have their own ways of escaping!"

"That is good to hear!"

I stepped forward alone, sword in hand. "I am the murderer you are looking for!" I declared.

Moxin looked at me, then scrutinized the Qingping Sword in my hand. "You killed my third brother. Today, you shall pay for his life with your own!"

With that single sentence, the heavens changed color. The black clouds that had filled the sky transformed into a deep, crimson blood-red. The blood-red clouds churned like a sea of gore, sinister to the extreme.

This was the manifestation of a terrifyingly malevolent aura. It appeared that Moxin’s power far exceeded that of Moli—it was beyond anything I had imagined.

However, Moxin’s intent to avenge his brother was absolute. I, too, had no intention of using other techniques; against a master of this caliber, they would likely be useless. The only thing I could rely on was the Qingping Sword and the "Sword of Extermination."

I had to strike true, or I would undoubtedly fall in this duel.

Unlike Moli, Moxin appeared as a man of average build, wearing no armor and wielding no weapon. To face an army in such a state required immense self-confidence.

He roared and charged at me. As he did, the blood-red clouds in the sky descended like a tidal wave, as if the entire firmament were collapsing upon me. The momentum was suffocating.

In an instant, Moxin was before me. His fist spiraled forward, and I saw, to my surprise, that his knuckles were covered in crimson scales, tipped with sharp, blade-like protrusions. No wonder he needed no armor or weapons.

I had not expected the Second Palace Master to possess dragon-scale armor—and a demonic, corrupted version at that. I gripped the Qingping Sword tightly. Under this terrifying pressure, my own white scales emerged as well.

He aimed his fist at my brow, intent on destroying my soul. At this life-or-death moment, I channeled the mental formula for the Sword of Extermination and thrust, aiming directly for his demonic heart.

"You cannot kill me!" he boomed, his voice like thunder.

Yet, as my sword drew near his heart, it stopped! No matter how hard I pushed, it would not penetrate! No matter how resolute my killing intent, it could not pierce him!

A sword of slaughter should bring death, but the aura of my Sword of Extermination was being overwhelmed by Moxin’s sheer malice. His fist grazed my forehead, forcing me to shift my footwork and retract my blade. He pressed the attack relentlessly, and I was forced to parry with the Qingping Sword, only to be sent flying by the force of his blow.

I adjusted my posture in the air and landed, stumbling to find my footing. I had never imagined that the Sword of Extermination would fail to cut him. His strength had reached an unthinkable level.

Moxin sneered, "So weak. Even with the Qingping Sword in your hand, you are not the man you were back then!"

With that, he lunged at me again. Driven back step by step, I found myself unable to mount a counterattack. A powerful blast of energy sent me reeling, and the morale of the demon army surged. Moxin commanded, "All Demon Generals, lead the troops! Slaughter every last slave, leave none alive!"

As he spoke, he attacked me again. This time, however, he was joined by the First Palace Master, Mokuai. "We must end this quickly," Mokuai said. "The Demon Ancestor’s messenger is almost here!"

"Don't worry, Big Brother, he won't last long!" Moxin replied.

Together, Mokuai and Moxin unleashed a torrent of malevolent energy that swirled like a tornado. Yellow sand filled the air, and the nearby Phoenix clanspeople struggled to stay upright, some wounded by the sheer force of the aura. The old clan leader planted his phoenix-headed staff into the ground to steady himself, yet even he trembled under the pressure.

The malice was too strong; the Phoenix Clan could not hold out much longer.

I had to draw Mokuai and Moxin away. With that thought, I turned and fled toward the canyon. To Mokuai and Moxin, the remnants of the Phoenix Clan were insignificant, so they pursued me immediately. I let out a sigh of relief; as long as I could draw them away, the old leader and the others could handle the remaining demon soldiers.

At the edge of the canyon, I stopped.

"You killed my third brother, and now you think you can run?" Mokuai blocked my path.

"Not at all. I simply wanted to find a better place to slay both of you as well!" I said, aiming to enrage them so that neither would turn back.

They laughed coldly. "Big Brother, go back to the palace. Leave him to me!" Moxin said.

However, before he could finish, I swung the Qingping Sword in a wide arc, sending a wave of sword energy crashing toward them. Moxin raised a hand to block, while Mokuai didn't even bother, taking the strike head-on as if it were nothing.

Mokuai’s power was even greater than Moxin’s.

"Rest assured, those slaves are of no consequence. If we can slay the Planet of Calamity here, it will be a monumental contribution to our clan's resurgence. The Demon Ancestor will surely reward us handsomely!" Mokuai said.

"That would be excellent!" Moxin agreed.

Moxin clenched his fists, his crimson dragon-scale armor manifesting once more. He dived at me, fist aimed again at my brow. The air pressure alone caused the ground to cave in, the canyon echoing with the thunder of his strike.

The malevolent aura surged, seeking to drain my life force, but my Qingping Sword hungrily devoured it. I did not yet know what would happen if it continued to feast.

As his fist descended, I did not wait to be crushed. I vaulted into the air, shifted my footwork, and appeared behind him, thrusting the Sword of Extermination at his back.