Chapter 134: Battling the Demon

The effect is not very pronounced; it manages to stabilize my injuries, but these pills must be refined using your core demonic essence, and still fail to completely cure my affliction. Xiong Kun, there is a hint of a bloody scent in this pill. What have you mixed into it?

The little boy, addressed as Tianbao, raised his head and asked.

Xiong Kun froze for a moment, then chuckled and said, I used my own foundational essence blood supplemented by demonic essence to refine it. Although it cannot cure you completely, as long as it works, that is enough. I will feed you another pill tomorrow, Lord Tianbao. Rest assured, for a minor demon like me to be able to stay by your side and cultivate alongside you is my greatest blessing.

Tianbao nodded, his eyes clear as he said, Very well. However, Xiong Kun, you must remember that although we demons have many paths to cultivation, if we wish to achieve true fruition, we must never harbor wanton killing intent. There are three stages in all: awakening spiritual wisdom is the first stage, transforming into human form is the second stage, and attaining true fruition is the third stage. From the moment the first stage is awakened, one must not act recklessly. You must bear this in mind. You had already awakened your spiritual wisdom long ago, yet you slaughtered innocent people, which brought disaster upon your own head, causing Taoist priests to hunt you down, destroy your physical shell, and pluck out your demonic core.

Hearing Tianbao's words, Xiong Kun fell silent and spoke no further.

Originally, refining pills to heal Tianbao's injuries was no easy task, but if human hearts were used as a medicinal catalyst, the success rate would increase manifold. In any case, Lord Tianbao was only injured because of these human beings; using their hearts as medicine now was of no great consequence.

Another human heart was still required as a catalyst today. Only a heart wrapped in freshly bleeding warmth made the ultimate catalyst.

At this thought, Xiong Kun smiled again. Yesterday, he could only blame that police officer for meddling and happening to witness him refining pills using demonic essence, which forced him to deal a fatal blow. Lord Tianbao had warned him that their identities must not be leaked, so he had killed the detective. Since the decision was already made, there was no turning back. At the same time, he had taken the human's heart to refine pills with his own demonic essence.

The vehicle drove up to a towering mountain in the suburbs of Longdu, and Xiong Kun carried Tianbao on his back all the way to the summit. Tianbao sat atop the peak, his hands forming incantations as the surrounding spiritual energy began to converge upon him. A bean-sized demonic mark surfaced on Tianbao's forehead; the mark was purple and twisted like a snake.

After dusk, Tianbao ended his incantation, a trace of rosy color returning to his complexion, and then descended the mountain alongside Xiong Kun.

After returning Tianbao to his residence, Xiong Kun ventured out once more. Few people lived in this residential complex, and with the hour approaching midnight, he walked straight to the octagonal pavilion. The corpse had already been removed during the day, and the bloodstains had been washed clean. Xiong Kun sat in the center of the pavilion and suddenly spoke:

Are you still not coming out? Do not think I am unaware that you are right beside me. You have not left since you arrived this morning.

Triple Origin Demon-Trapping Formation, rise!

Three voices rang out from different directions. Jiang Litian, Sima Yan'er, and Feng Fuxuan wore solemn expressions, each holding a tall banner covered in mysterious runes. Jiang Litian held a fiery red banner, Sima Yan'er held a deep blue banner, and Feng Fuxuan held a bright yellow banner. The three of them surrounded Xiong Kun in the octagonal pavilion in a triangular formation.

What kind of demonic entity are you, causing chaos in the mortal realm? Xiao Hu had no grudge against you—why did you kill him and take his heart?

Feng Fuxuan's face turned gloomy as he gripped his banner tightly and shouted angrily.

What kind of demon am I? Can you not tell? He indeed had no grudge against me; if you must blame someone, blame him for meddling in affairs that did not concern him. Killing him was originally unintentional, and taking his heart was merely a matter of convenience!

Xiong Kun glanced at them coldly, showing not a shred of fear.

I cannot be bothered to waste words with this beast. Let us strike! Ping-fire, destroy the demon and its evils!

Jiang Litian gripped his banner with both hands and shook it forcefully. The runes upon the banner rippled, radiating a crimson light. The next moment, these runes wove together into a vast sheet of fire that surged toward Xiong Kun. Xiong Kun looked up at the raging flames, a sneer of disdain curling his lips, and immediately lashed out with a single palm.

An unimaginably large, emerald-green claw materialized above the flames and viciously clawed downward, shattering the sheet of fire instantly into vanishing sparks.

Kui-water!

Wu-earth!

Sima Yan'er and Feng Fuxuan successively waved the great banners in their hands. Dense spikes of earth abruptly burst forth from within the octagonal pavilion, but Xiong Kun leaped into the air. At that moment, a mass of water transformed in mid-air into blades a foot long. These water blades gleamed with blue light, yet faintly exuded an intensely frigid aura that seemed to freeze the surrounding void. The water blades whistled directly toward Xiong Kun.

Jiang Litian's expression turned grim as he shook his banner once more. The runes upon it transformed into heads-sized fireballs, radiating intense heat, and followed closely behind the water blades.

A mere Demon-Trapping Formation thinks it can trap me? Dream on!

Xiong Kun roared, his muscles beginning to bulge as his stature grew even taller. The stubble on his face grew thick and rigid, his mouth parted slightly to reveal sharp canines, his eyes glowed a vibrant green, and his ears grew pointed—he bore no resemblance to a human at all!

A wolf demon!

Recognizing Xiong Kun's transformation, Feng Fuxuan let out a cry of shock.

The next instant, Xiong Kun threw his fists forward fiercely, the dense blur of punches taking on a nearly tangible form as they heavily slammed into the incoming water blades.

Boom!

Explosive crashes rang out continuously. As the water blades collided with the barrage of punches, they shattered into blooming flowers of ice in the air before plunging to the ground, though the fist shadows vanished as well. The dozen roaring fireballs trailing behind smashed into the octagonal pavilion, instantly turning it into a sea of fire and blasting the pavilion to pieces in the fray.

Yet none of this disturbed the nearby residents. Before the fight began, Sima Yan'er had already deployed a simple array to conceal the reality of the scene; mortals could neither enter this area nor perceive what transpired within.

Amidst the sea of fire, Xiong Kun emitted no cries of agony; instead, a formidable and startlingly emerald demonic energy surged toward the heavens.

Trap!

Feng Fuxuan roared. The earth beneath Xiong Kun's feet flew up, transforming into an earthen sphere that completely sealed Xiong Kun away along with the flames, extinguishing the green demonic energy entirely.

The trio were drenched in sweat. Using those banners to attack the wolf demon had consumed a vast amount of their spiritual power. Had their opponent been a malevolent ghost of the Yin-manifestation realm, its soul would have long since scattered, yet this wolf demon was stubbornly resilient.

Has it been eliminated?

Feng Fuxuan touched his nose and spoke cautiously.

Uncertain. The demonic energy has vanished—perhaps it has been scorched to cinders.

Jiang Litian heaved a sigh of relief.

Something is amiss. This wolf demon clearly did not truly manifest its original form; that means a demonic soul has usurped this fleshly vessel. Yet this vessel is capable of semi-demonic transformation, indicating that its power is immense, capable of mutating a human's physical body. I reckon—

Boom!

Before Sima Yan'er could finish her sentence, the earthen sphere burst apart. Xiong Kun, wreathed in flames, transformed into a residual blur and charged straight toward Sima Yan'er.