It was still a flashback to two years earlier.
Huai Bingyi’s sword effortlessly sliced through Nai’er’s carotid artery.
Blood sprayed out, forming a brilliant crimson rainbow across the sky.
She carried demon blood within her body, so every wound she suffered would heal rapidly.
However, the sword in Huai Bingyi’s hand was different.
It was a Dragon Gold Sword specially forged by the Divine Dragon Temple, containing a mysterious and unique power.
The Divine Dragon Temple existed to protect the Human Kingdoms and resist the armies of the Demon Race.
The ancient demons possessed astonishing bloodline abilities. As long as they did not suffer fatal injuries, their wounds would heal almost instantly.
Naturally, the Divine Dragon Temple had developed a way to counter this ability, forging a demon slaying power into these swords.
Any wound inflicted by a Demon Slaying Dragon Gold Sword could not rapidly heal, even if the victim possessed demon blood.
Yet Nai’er’s wound refused to behave as expected.
The injury on her neck would not stop bleeding, and blood continued to gush from it.
Death had truly arrived.
The Grim Reaper had truly descended.
Yet Nai’er showed not the slightest fear.
She paid no attention to the blood pouring from her neck.
She simply gazed into the blue sky, hoping that somewhere there existed a heaven or a hell where she could meet her husband once again.
“Husband, when I see you again, I’m definitely going to scold you.”
Even as her life gradually faded away, her body did not tremble or convulse in the slightest.
“Hmm…”
Huai Bingyi let out a surprised sound.
The wound on Nai’er’s neck was healing.
Healing visibly before his very eyes.
How was that possible?
He was wielding a high grade Demon Slaying Dragon Gold Sword.
No demon bloodline should have been able to resist its effects.
So why was Yan Nai’er’s wound still healing by itself?
What kind of demon bloodline did she possess?
The demon blood within Nai’er had originally come from a female desert bandit whom Suolun had killed through a carefully planned scheme. Demon Star had extracted the blood from her body.
That female desert bandit had obtained it from an underground ruin.
Huai Bingyi was deeply shocked.
He knew perfectly well that the Demon Slaying Dragon Gold Sword in his hand could kill almost every demon bloodline bearer.
However, it was powerless against the highest class of demon bloodlines.
For example, the bloodline of the Ancient Demons.
No sword possessed by the Divine Dragon Temple could inflict fatal injuries upon them.
The power of demons was inherited through generations.
Each successive generation became slightly weaker.
Without question, the strongest bloodline was that of the Ancient Demons themselves, the very first generation of demon blood.
Yet after Yan Nai’er’s neck had been cut open by his Demon Slaying Dragon Gold Sword, it was actually healing on its own.
Exactly what kind of demon blood flowed through her veins?
Back then, that female desert bandit had been impossible to kill by ordinary means.
Suolun had only managed it by having Demon Star completely destroy her soul.
Huai Bingyi fell into deep thought.
He did not care much about Suolun, the so called World Destroying Demon Emperor.
In his eyes, it was merely an empty title.
How could such a weak person possibly be a true Demon Emperor?
But the Divine Dragon Temple had always been extremely interested in Ancient Demon bloodlines.
Such bloodlines often contained unimaginable power that could be studied and developed.
He had never expected that while hunting Yan Nai’er, he would discover someone who might possess an Ancient Demon bloodline.
But if she truly possessed such a bloodline, why was its effect on her so insignificant?
Otherwise, how could her cultivation be so weak?
Once again, Huai Bingyi hesitated.
Should he kill Yan Nai’er?
Or should he capture her alive and take her back to the Divine Dragon Temple for research?
Perhaps she would prove even more valuable there.
Some of the Divine Dragon Temple’s aerial legions and flying warriors had originally been developed through reverse engineering various demon bloodlines.
After only a brief hesitation, Huai Bingyi still chose to kill her.
After all, she represented too great a threat to both himself and his teacher.
As for the demon blood within her, it could simply be extracted on the spot.
Although doing so would be extremely cruel.
“Miss Yan Nai’er, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Even now, Huai Bingyi remained perfectly polite.
Nai’er ignored him completely.
By this time, the wound on her neck had already healed.
Although it had taken nearly ten times longer than usual, it had healed nonetheless.
With another casual slash, Huai Bingyi cut open her smooth white neck again.
Blood burst out once more.
“You may possess an extremely mysterious and powerful Ancient Demon bloodline.”
“But your cultivation is so weak that I find it difficult to understand.”
“The demon blood within your body holds tremendous research value for the Divine Dragon Temple.”
“So I may need to extract it.”
Nai’er continued to ignore him.
Huai Bingyi went on,
“That means I’ll probably have to cut open your chest and remove your heart.”
“And your heart must be removed while you’re still alive.”
“I’ll also have to open your clothing to ensure I remove it accurately.”
The moment she heard those words, Nai’er suddenly snapped awake.
She did not fear death.
Even if they reduced her to ashes, she would not care.
But her chastity could never be violated.
Nor could her heart be taken away.
What if she reached heaven or hell and became someone without a heart?
How could she ever face the man she loved?
She did not want to become a cold, heartless person like Princess Zhiyan.
“No… Don’t touch me…”
Nai’er’s voice trembled.
“Zhiyan, you killed your own husband, but you should at least protect his honour.”
“You must protect my chastity.”
“Kill me.”
“Don’t let him touch me.”
Princess Zhiyan’s delicate body trembled.
Yet she stood there without moving.
“Zhiyan, I’m begging you.”
“If you kill me, even if you cut my body into pieces…”
“As long as you protect my chastity…”
“Then after I reach hell, I’ll ask my husband to forgive you.”
“I can’t lose my chastity.”
“I can’t…”
Nai’er pleaded desperately.
Princess Zhiyan’s beautiful face trembled again.
Yet she remained silent.
“I’m sorry.”
Huai Bingyi spoke gently.
“The demon blood within your body is of enormous importance to the Divine Dragon Temple.”
“As for opening your clothing, I have no intention whatsoever of insulting your chastity.”
“It’s simply necessary to ensure your heart is removed accurately.”
He drew a dagger and crouched before Yan Nai’er.
By then, the wound on Nai’er’s neck had healed once more.
Huai Bingyi’s eyes shone with excitement.
“It healed again.”
“What an incredible surprise.”
“The bloodline within your body may bring enormous progress to the Divine Dragon Temple’s Demon Research Laboratory.”
“Even in death, you’ll have made a tremendous contribution to this world.”
“You should feel proud, Miss Yan Nai’er.”
Then he once again sliced open Nai’er’s neck with the Demon Slaying Dragon Gold Sword.
Blood sprayed into the air yet again.
The atmosphere was once more filled with that strange and mysterious energy.
He repeatedly cut open her carotid artery to reduce the pressure within her bloodline.
Only then could he safely remove her heart intact.
Afterwards, he reached out towards her clothing.
Nai’er’s eyes split with despair as bloody tears streamed down her face.
“Zhiyan…”
“Even if my husband is dead…”
“He’ll never forgive you.”
She gathered every trace of Dragon Power, every drop of bloodline energy, and every ounce of demonic power within her body.
She prepared to detonate herself into countless pieces.
No matter the cost, she would never allow anyone to violate her chastity.
Especially now that her husband was dead.
The countless energies within her body continued gathering.
Compressing.
Gathering.
Once they exceeded the limits of her body, they would explode.
That way, she could preserve her purity.
However…
Huai Bingyi casually waved his hand.
An overwhelming force of Dragon Power and spiritual power spread out.
He effortlessly dispersed the energy she had gathered.
Her body became completely immobilised.
Completely sealed.
Nai’er could no longer resist.
Nor could she destroy herself.
His cultivation was simply too far beyond hers.
Whether in Dragon Power or spiritual strength, he surpassed her completely.
“How strange.”
“You possess Ancient Demon blood, yet your cultivation is so weak.”
“How truly strange.”
“Brother Suolun, I don’t mean to dishonour your wife.”
“I’m doing this for the Divine Dragon Temple’s research.”
“For the future of mankind.”
“So even if I see something…”
“Or touch something…”
“I hope you won’t blame me.”
Muttering to himself, Huai Bingyi once again reached towards Nai’er’s clothing.
Her body was completely restrained.
She could only watch helplessly as his hand approached.
Large drops of blood red tears rolled down her cheeks.
Never before had she hated anyone as much as she hated these two people.
Huai Bingyi.
Zhiyan.
Even if she descended into hell…
Even if she became a vengeful ghost…
Yan Nai’er swore she would take revenge.
At that very moment…
Huai Bingyi’s hand suddenly froze in mid air.
The sky suddenly darkened.
An unimaginably vast pressure descended, as though one hundred thousand mountains were crushing everything below.
“Roar!”
A tremendous cry echoed through the heavens.
A gigantic shadow descended from the sky.
Enormous wings.
An enormous body.
A sharply hooked nose.
A face of incomparable beauty.
A towering body over one hundred metres tall.
Its eyes burned like crimson flames.
Yet its face appeared for only an instant before dissolving into a blazing black silhouette.
Then…
An endless torrent of power swept across the heavens.
It crushed every inch of air.
Every inch of space.
An overwhelming force unlike anything before.
Layer upon layer.
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The Divine Dragon Temple’s flying beasts could not endure the terrifying pressure.
One after another, they exploded into fragments.
Huai Bingyi and Princess Zhiyan’s expressions changed dramatically.
Both immediately drew their swords.
“Which Majesty of the Demon Race are you?”
“Or which Majesty of the Demon Empire?”
Huai Bingyi shouted.
“The Divine Dragon Temple is conducting official business.”
“I ask Your Excellency to step aside.”
“The Divine Dragon Temple.”
“What an overbearing Divine Dragon Temple.”
The supreme Demon Race expert laughed coldly.
His voice carried overwhelming majesty.
It did not come from his mouth.
Instead, every tree, the earth itself, and even the crashing waves resonated with his words.
The sound shook both heart and soul.
Huai Bingyi’s expression changed.
“No matter which Majesty of the Demon Race you are, or which ruler of the Demon Empire…”
“You have a treaty with the Divine Dragon Temple.”
“Do you not?”
“Indeed.”
“The Hundred Thousand Mountains form the border.”
“The Barbarian Lands belong to the Demon Race.”
“The Human Realm belongs to the Divine Dragon Temple.”
“Neither side interferes with the other.”
Huai Bingyi replied,
“Although this is Barbarian territory, the Divine Dragon Temple is handling the internal affairs of humanity.”
“Please withdraw.”
“No.”
The Demon Race expert refused.
“Are you planning to violate the treaty?”
“Aren’t you afraid of completely offending the Divine Dragon Temple?”
The Demon Race expert answered,
“The woman before us carries the blood of an Ancient Demon.”
“She is no longer merely human.”
“She belongs to our Demon Race.”
“Besides, this place lies thousands of miles deep within the Barbarian Lands.”
“How could I stand by and watch you slaughter her?”
“Or remove her heart?”
Huai Bingyi replied,
“Although she possesses demon blood, she is still fundamentally human.”
“Otherwise she would not be so weak, completely at my mercy.”
“It seems negotiation between us has failed.”
“In that case…”
“We shall negotiate with force.”
Huai Bingyi’s eyes turned cold.
“Attack!”
Immediately, more than one hundred Sky Holy Knights, Flying Warriors, and Sky Judicators transformed into streaks of light and charged towards the supreme Demon Race expert.
“So…”
“You intend to overwhelm me with numbers?”
The Demon Race expert smiled.
Then he declared,
“Elemental life throughout the Barbarian Lands…”
“Hear my summons.”
“Lend me your strength.”
The instant his words ended…
The earth split open across more than ten miles.
Dozens of gigantic stone giants climbed out.
The sea itself burst apart.
Towering giants formed entirely of seawater rose from the waves.
Countless currents of air condensed into Wind Walker assassins.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The heavens and earth changed colour.
The hundred experts of the Divine Dragon Temple found themselves surrounded by stone giants, sea giants, and Wind Walkers.
The Sky Holy Knights and Sky Judicators were incredibly powerful.
Yet they had almost no way to deal with these elemental puppets.
Within moments they were completely surrounded.
One after another, they were killed.
In less than three minutes…
Every Sky Holy Knight, Sky Judicator, and Flying Warrior had been wiped out.
Then dozens of stone giants, sea giants, and Wind Walkers surrounded Princess Zhiyan and Huai Bingyi.
Huai Bingyi sneered.
“Junior Sister.”
“It seems we’ll have to fight together.”
The two stood back to back.
Both formed hand seals.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Two enormous energy barriers appeared.
Huai Bingyi’s barrier was crimson.
Zhiyan’s was white.
Each formed half a sphere.
Together they created a complete spherical barrier.
The stone giants, sea giants, and Wind Walkers charged towards it without pause.
Yet the combined barrier formed by Huai Bingyi and Princess Zhiyan possessed terrifying power.
Every stone giant shattered upon impact.
Every sea giant dissolved into mist.
Every Wind Walker vanished into nothingness the instant it touched the barrier.
The supreme Demon Race expert sighed.
“The younger generation of the Divine Dragon Temple…”
“Have they already become this powerful?”
Then the black silhouette in the sky unleashed even greater power.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Countless shadow clones instantly appeared, relentlessly assaulting the barrier protecting Huai Bingyi and Princess Zhiyan.
At the same time, the Demon Race expert asked,
“Young woman carrying the Ancient Demon bloodline…”
“What is your name?”
“Yan Nai’er.”
“Wife of Suolun.”
The Demon Race expert replied,
“I sensed the scent of our ancient ancestors’ bloodline from far away.”
“So I rushed here as fast as possible.”
“Fortunately…”
“I arrived before your life was extinguished.”
While Huai Bingyi and Princess Zhiyan desperately destroyed the incoming shadow clones, Huai Bingyi said coldly,
“Whoever you may be, whether a ruler of the Demon Race or the Demon Empire…”
“She is the wife of Suolun, the World Destroying Demon Emperor.”
“If you rescue her…”
“You will become a complete enemy of the Divine Dragon Temple.”
“You’d better think carefully.”
“Can you bear the wrath of the Divine Dragon Temple?”
“The World Destroying Demon Emperor?”
“Hahahaha…”
The Demon Race expert burst into laughter.
“You humans…”
“You couldn’t even tolerate a saviour.”
“Three thousand years ago, we accepted the Flame Demon Emperor.”
“But you couldn’t accept the Dragon Emperor who saved the human world.”
“The Emperor has lived peacefully in the Barbarian Lands.”
“Yet within your Human Kingdoms, the Divine Dragon Temple framed him.”
“You imprisoned him.”
“You even turned him into an energy source for the Temple.”
“Now you’re afraid his successor will appear.”
“So you’ve fabricated the nonsense of a World Destroying Demon Emperor.”
“What an absurd joke.”
Then the supreme Demon Race expert turned towards Yan Nai’er.
“Lady Yan Nai’er.”
“I can save your life.”
“I can preserve your honour.”
“But first…”
“You must agree to one condition!”