Taking the Path of Hell

The battle was now unavoidable. That afternoon, as the sky rumbled louder, the members of the Tian Ba sect gathered all their remaining strength to defeat the bull-headed demon, commonly known as Qian Zu.

Wu Hao and Huang Bo worked together to attack Qian Zu with erratic movements. They circled the demon's body quickly, then struck him fiercely. White light followed their movements, signaling the speed they used.

The disciples and other members of the sect channeled a great deal of inner energy to incapacitate the demon. Meanwhile, Jian Hong held his chest, feeling a sharp pain. "No, I can't let them find out here. At least for now, I need to help them first."

Desperately, Jian Hong fought to suppress the pain that spread throughout his body. Eventually, with no other choice, he scraped his sword across the palm of his hand. The blood that flowed, he dripped onto his forehead, forming a unique and intricate symbol with golden light, which then disappeared as the blood was absorbed into his body.

Without further delay, Jian Hong immediately soared into the air. He then slashed at one of Qian Zu's legs with his sword, causing the appendage to detach from the demon's body, which screamed loudly in agony. "ARGHHH!"

Along with that scream, molten lava erupted from Qian Zu's mouth. He violently swatted at Huang Bo and Wu Hao, who were attacking him. Additionally, other sect members were thrown aside when Qian Zu swung his tail, which was covered in a thousand feet. "Enough! I no longer wish to play!"

Everyone was thrown to the ground, Jian Hong included. Their bodies and souls were wounded as Qian Zu secretly prepared another attack. A massive stone materialized and the demon hurled it toward the sect members. On top of that, the overcast sky unleashed a rain of fire.

"Fire from the sky! We're done for!"

"We have no place to hide! We're going to die here!"

"Don't give up!" Liu Yang insisted on rising. Though he stumbled several times, the man wiped the blood from his mouth and stood before the other sect members, who seemed to have lost their spirit.

Liu Yang's face was pale, his white robe stained with blood and dirt. Yet, the young man stood firm like a leader. "We can't give up. Aren't we disciples of Tian Ba? We are an indomitable force, an unstoppable storm. Enemies may come by the thousands, but we will fight until our last breath. The sky witnesses our bravery, the earth records our names. Tian Ba is blood, honor, and victory." The young man paused briefly, trying to catch his breath. "Have you all forgotten that?"

Before anyone could respond, the first fireball fell right in front of them, followed by several others, all heading for the earth. Qian Zu laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Don't you see? I don't even need to waste my energy to finish you all. Today, a new history will be written. The Tian Ba sect will be destroyed, and the Heng Feng Mountains will become the domain of demons! Hahaha!" He paused, his large red eyes, with black lines on each side, glared sharply. "And you, you'd better admit defeat. It's clear now, there's no escape. But if you beg, I might consider giving you a quick death."

Qian Zu's laughter echoed through the forest, shaking the earth, even the mist atop Heng Feng Mountain. But just moments after that, Wu Hao stood tall. Though hurried, he walked over and stood beside Liu Yang. "If you want to destroy Tian Ba, then go ahead. But I will never abandon my disciples. If they want to fight you, want to defy your power, then I will stand with them. Demons and humans were created from different elements, not to be enemies. But if you start a war, I, as the Elder of Tian Ba, swear I will never surrender to your power!"

Shortly afterward, Huang Bo and the other disciples stood up as well, forming a horizontal line, standing side by side. There was no fear in their eyes. Even as the fire rained down and was about to hit them at any moment, they showed no sign of fear.

They all held hands, then took a few steps forward. Although their energy was nearly exhausted, some even had their cultivation damaged, their determination remained unshaken. "The sky may fall, the earth may be destroyed, blood may flow to its last drop. But we will never bow to injustice. Tian Ba stands for justice, even if we must die fighting against the world."

Jian Hong swallowed hard as he watched. He had to admit, his body trembled, and his heart was shaken when he heard that. Still sitting behind them, Jian Hong tried to rise, closing his eyes as he felt something welling up in his chest.

"Still so arrogant at this point. Do you not realize that all you have now is physical strength?" Qian Zu moved his hand, and a red light emerged from the skull necklace he wore.

The light flew into the air, forming a circular formation that spun with a black triangular line inside. "I was created from the world's rage and the core of the earth's fury. So today, help me destroy humanity!"

Thunder roared with lightning that felled several large trees. The wind howled violently. The sound of erupting mountains added to the tense atmosphere of the day. Qian Zu was indeed a creature born from pure natural energy. His body floated into the air, slowly transforming into a demon with two heads: one of a bull and the other a skull, with a tail of a thousand legs and elephant-like feet.

Qian Zu was a creature made of pure elemental energy, a magma monster formed from the earth's core fury. So even though he was on the wrong path, the earth would continue to support him.

"Heart Explosion!" Qian Zu screamed loudly, and the circular formation he had created descended toward the ground. Faintly, the formation morphed into the shape of a heart. Yes, Qian Zu had infused his heart's energy into this formation.

The demon wasn't joking with his words. Beyond the Tian Ba sect members, he truly intended to destroy Heng Feng Mountain and the surrounding regions. The red light from the formation only added to the ominous feeling. And with the intensity of the fire rain already falling, it only heightened the dread.

All the members closed their eyes, hoping that after this, a beautiful life would await them. But no one expected that they all extended one hand upward, their palm's white light piercing the sky and stopping at the Tian Ba sect. The light gathered in the air, forming a bright glow like the sun's rays.

Then, the light transformed into a semi-circular shield that enveloped the sect, leaving the remaining junior members in awe at the formation. Soon after, a fog enveloped the sect, completely obscuring the location from human sight and from other creatures as well.

They all sacrificed the essence of their souls to protect Tian Ba. Even if they had to die, they would give their best for the sect. After that, they collapsed to the ground, spitting out a large amount of blood.

Rather than angry, Qian Zu clicked his tongue in contempt. "Only fools waste their lives for inanimate things. But it doesn't matter. Even if you hide its location, I will surely find it one day."

Just as the formation and fire rain were about to hit the fallen sect members, a black light formed a shield that blocked the formation. The shockwave from the clash was so intense that it caused the plants in the forest to wither and even dried up the river.

Two massive forces were clashing, holding their ground. Qian Zu was pushed back by the shockwave, struggling to stay in place. "What's happening? The wind I created is actually attacking me?"

Curious, Qian Zu raised his hand, causing the wind to stop tricking him. When the fog from the ravaged land cleared from his view, Qian Zu was shocked to see the figure of Jian Hong standing tall in front of the sect members.

"Y-You? How-- how is this possible?"

Qian Zu was taken aback when he saw the figure standing proudly beneath him was Jian Hong. Jian Hong, wearing a black hanfu, his long gray hair blowing in the strong wind. His gaze was sharp, and his posture was different from before.

Without saying a word, Jian Hong levitated into the air, raising one hand to release a black light that sent Qian Zu crashing to the ground. "How dare you kill my sect members! How dare you destroy Tian Ba!"

Without giving Qian Zu a chance to breathe, Jian Hong's entire body was engulfed in black aura. The black mist that had gathered in the sky slowly entered his body as he stretched out his hands. Without warning, he shot a black light in a long line, striking the demon's body. "Black Void Split!"

Jian Hong's shout shook the mountain's base, piercing the creatures of the forest. His neck veins bulged as he gasped for air. When the attack struck Qian Zu, his body split in two. "ARGHHH!!!"

But it didn't stop there. Jian Hong gazed at the sky with intense hostility, extending his arms, making intricate finger movements, and forming a circular formation with jagged edges that spun at every corner.

Soon, the formation flew into the sky, absorbing all the fire rain that fell to the earth. As he looked down, the shield he created was nearly worn down by Qian Zu's Heart Explosion formation.

Therefore, Jian Hong immediately descended. From the outside, he gazed at the bodies of his friends, whom he had come to consider his family, with sorrow. "They died protecting the sect. But as long as there are still some left, I believe even the corpse of an ant can be revived. I just need to keep their bodies standing, intact."

After that, Jian Hong once again formed a symbol with his fingers, causing red and black light to emerge from each of his hands. It formed a rope-like thread that spiraled toward the shield. "All this time, I have been useless and always disappointing you. That is my fault. But no matter what, this power should never have manifested in me. If not forced, I would never want to use this power ever."

At that moment, a sword flew and struck Jian Hong's body, piercing his heart. In that instant, fresh blood spilled from his mouth. For a moment, he lowered his hands and halted his actions. When he turned around, he could only wear a flat expression. "You?"