Chapter Twenty-One: The Maiden Immortal’s First Battle

Demons are notoriously difficult to kill; this is a truth universally acknowledged among humankind. Those who have never faced, never truly encountered a demon cannot imagine how troublesome they are. Their bodies are utterly unlike those of humans—not merely in form, but in structure as well.

If one were to draw a comparison, perhaps a demon’s body most resembles the clay we played with as children. Like clay, their bodies feel pain, yet they are hard to truly injure. If a demon’s body is wounded and a portion is lost, they recover by borrowing from other parts of their own body or even from nearby kin. Just like clay, a simple pinch is all it takes for them to return to their former state.

To truly kill a demon, one must find their core. Typically, this core lies deep within their body. However, there is a brief window when their core is exposed—precisely when they are wounded and seeking to recover. Although their clay-like bodies can heal, this process requires their core to be exposed to the air, where it must contact some unknown substance. This vulnerability is one of the rare opportunities for the early-stage Divine Armored Warriors to slay a demon.

Later, however, when it comes to commander-level demons, Divine Armored Warriors can dispatch them in an instant. After all, commander-level demons are merely a step above the most numerous and lowest rank—the soldier-level demons.

Hearing the thunderous footsteps of the commander-level demon pursuing her from behind, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. As expected, even without intelligence, rage is instinctive; the less intelligent a creature is, the harder it is to control when angered. Thus, the evil god’s attempt to pacify the demon was futile.

Though the demon’s massive form allowed it to cover great distances with each stride, the shift in its target had already given Zhuang Xiaoyuan a substantial lead, and her own speed was far from slow. So, when Zhuang Xiaoyuan leapt into the protective circle of the support troops, the evil god was still over a hundred meters away.

“Don’t even think of running.” As she jumped into the support troops’ protective circle, the soldiers, seeing her transformation and recognizing her as a fellow human, assumed she was a Divine Armored Warrior protecting the city and moved to intercept.

The soldier whom Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s Celestial Eye had revealed to be possessed by an evil god tried to escape upon seeing her enter, but it was too late. As he realized escape was impossible and tried to wrest control of his body, a yellow immobilizing talisman was already affixed to his forehead, freezing him in place.

“Sir…” Seeing Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s action against his subordinate, the officer in charge of the support unit quickly stepped forward.

“Keep him under watch. He’s possessed by an evil god. The immobilizing talisman I used will only hold him temporarily. It’s best to isolate and monitor him closely.” Before the officer could ask, Zhuang Xiaoyuan explained.

“Understood. Take him away and keep him guarded.” The officer hesitated for a moment, but upon noticing the crimson eye on Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s forehead, which was still swiveling as if surveying the surroundings, he was stunned and promptly issued the order.

“Now, the true drama begins.” Having located and immobilized the three evil god possessors within her field of vision, Zhuang Xiaoyuan finally felt at ease and closed the Celestial Eye on her forehead. As the eye shut, the rapid drain of divine power within her body gradually subsided. Though maintaining her transformed state still consumed energy, it was far less than the cost of keeping the Celestial Eye open.

Now was the time to deal with these formidable adversaries: two commander-level demons, two mid-tier evil gods—each equivalent to a Divine Armored Warrior of the Prayer rank. If Zhuang Xiaoyuan had remained at her original Faith rank, she would have perished instantly against four such monsters.

But now, feeling the divine power trembling within her, the formidable strength surging through her body, and the myriad spells and talismans racing through her mind, Zhuang Xiaoyuan sensed she was far from powerless. In this transformed state, her combat prowess might well have reached the Divine Descent rank.

She gauged the diminished vortex of divine power within, calculating the total remaining energy and the consumption of several high-power spells. The outlook remained grim: no matter her combat ability, her foundation was too weak, and such power was unlikely to last. Her only recourse was to conserve divine power as much as possible and seize the chance to strike a fatal blow.

Resolving her plan of action, Zhuang Xiaoyuan gripped the Sword of Immortal Slaughter and moved to engage. To conserve her divine power, she would have to rely on close-quarters combat, which consumed the least energy. Physical fighting demanded little beyond maintaining her transformation, which was already covered.

Under the evil god’s command, the two commander-level demons were drawing near. The previously enraged demon had not yet calmed its fury but, at the evil god’s repeated urging, began moving closer to the other demon. Though its ultimate target remained Zhuang Xiaoyuan, its approach now had a slight curve.

Yet when Zhuang Xiaoyuan stepped out to confront it once more, the demon instantly erupted with rage, disregarding the evil god’s commands and charging at her with increased speed.

Perfect timing. She hadn’t expected her previous strike to leave such a deep grudge. Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s tense mood eased somewhat, for the demon’s furious charge had opened up a gap between it and the other demon, lessening her immediate pressure. Though being beset by multiple enemies was inevitable, delaying that moment was all to the good. If she could defeat one before the others joined the fray, so much the better.

Both sides moved swiftly, and Zhuang Xiaoyuan and the enraged demon soon closed the distance. The demon attacked first, its massive right fist smashing down toward her—not an open palm this time, but a clenched fist.

With a thunderous crash, the fist struck the ground, sending shards of stone flying. Zhuang Xiaoyuan leapt onto the demon’s arm, racing along it toward its head. As she advanced, the Sword of Immortal Slaughter traced slender gashes along its arm.

The demon howled in pain, and its other hands reached out, fists hammering at Zhuang Xiaoyuan on its arm.

With a sudden halt, the first punch swept past her. Facing the second, Zhuang Xiaoyuan released the Sword of Immortal Slaughter from her right hand—aided by gravity, the blade embedded itself easily in the demon’s arm beneath her feet.

“Taiji Cloud Hands.” Her hands conjured a pair of black and white yin-yang fish, which spun to form a vast Taiji diagram before her. The second punch struck the diagram, and, as if reflecting light, veered aside to collide with the third punch.

Swiftly, Zhuang Xiaoyuan withdrew the Sword of Immortal Slaughter from the demon’s arm and leapt onto its back. Now, before her, stood the evil god—who had darkened half his face and injured Wen Hui.