Chapter 26: The Tide of Battle Turns Rapidly

There are many kinds of evil gods, and after devouring human souls, they often unconsciously become influenced by humanity. Though they remain evil gods, intent on humanity’s destruction and incapable of transformation, the weakness and timidity inherent in human character can seep into their own personalities. This is especially true for those mid- and lower-ranked evil gods who have not yet ascended to a higher order; they are easily affected by such emotions.

Thus, what the evil god said earlier — that other evil gods have infiltrated — is undoubtedly accurate information. But Wen Hui would not spare him simply because he provided intelligence; an evil god is, after all, humanity’s enemy. Since he is an adversary, he must be utterly eradicated.

After devouring and obliterating the evil god, the emerald tornado did not subside; instead, its power intensified, spreading outward. Particularly, when the emerald wind touched the barrier storm that had previously isolated the evil demon, it surged even more violently. With the tornado further strengthened, the next to be swept up was the evil demon beneath Wen Hui’s feet.

“Aaaah!” Having just healed the gaping wound in his chest and intending to retaliate, the evil demon was greeted instead by Wen Hui’s emerald tornado. The very origin of the tornado formed on his back, leaving him no escape as he was directly engulfed by the raging storm.

As the whirlwind sliced through, wounds appeared across the evil demon’s body, black foul blood spurting out and staining the emerald storm with darkness. Within the tornado, his shrieks gradually faded, finally falling silent.

Once the tornado encircled the evil demon, its range ceased to expand further. Wen Hui’s control over the wind was now deft and instinctive. After the evil demon’s cries fell quiet, the storm persisted a while longer, finally shrinking and settling at Wen Hui’s command.

When the emerald tornado calmed, a crimson core crystal, still entwined with strips of flesh, fell from the sky. The strands of flesh hanging from the core twitched and grew, as if trying to restore their original form.

Her gaze icy, Wen Hui raised her Spear of the Storm. With a crack, the falling core crashed against the spear’s tip and shattered.

Blue energy streamed from the broken core, merging into Wen Hui’s body. The divine power within her surged, growing noticeably. Yet, she remained some distance from ascending to mid-tier divinity. After all, this was merely an evil demon of the prayer rank, equivalent to a human captain. For Wen Hui, whose power already matched the divine, the effect was somewhat diminished.

“Well. Another victory for me, Wen Hui.” Returning from the surge of divine energy, Wen Hui was greeted by Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s unusually serious, unsmiling face.

“Hah, lost again. But next time, the win will be mine.” Looking at Zhuang Xiaoyuan before her, even though her demeanor was quite unlike usual, Wen Hui’s expression softened involuntarily. Of course, her competitive spirit never dimmed.

“Very well, I’ll wait for you to surpass me next time.” Though her face was earnest, her eyes shimmered with hidden mirth. Seeing Wen Hui’s atypical expression, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s heart softened as well.

“Xiaohui.” A small voice floated forth.

“What?” Zhuang Xiaoyuan heard it, but did not understand the meaning.

“You can call me Xiaohui. Ahem, and if you insist, I can reluctantly call you Xiaoyuan. Hmph.” Wen Hui folded her arms and looked away, her cheeks tinged with red, stubbornly maintaining her facade. Even when uttering something akin to a confession, she could not help but cling to her usual mask.

“…Xiaohui, you really are adorable when you act so tsundere.” Carefully scrutinizing Wen Hui, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s gaze roamed every inch. As Wen Hui’s cheeks reddened further and her agitation grew, she stamped her foot quickly. Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s eyes brimmed with amusement as she finally spoke.

“Adorable? Ugh, you’re the tsundere! Your whole family is tsundere!” Wen Hui’s cheeks flushed deeper at Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s remark, but she quickly recovered, springing up like a ruffled cat to dispute the label.

“Such amusing humans. I almost hesitate to disturb you. But since this mess was left by my subordinate, let me tidy things up a bit.” Just as Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui believed the battle was over and began their playful quarrel, and as the soldiers of the support unit approached, a voice both ethereal and elusive echoed from all directions, impossible to locate.

“Who?” The sudden voice put Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui instantly on guard, but they could not find its source. Instead, a rumbling sound, accompanied by the trembling earth, arose from within South Street.

“Aaaah!” The houses flanking South Street were crushed, and with the rumbling growing closer, a massive evil demon appeared before Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui.

It was a demon even larger than the captain-level ones. At first glance, it resembled an ancient triceratops, but unlike the triangular head of that beast, this demon’s head was enormous, encased as if in an iron helmet, reflecting a glossy metallic black. Viewed from the front, its shield-like head completely concealed its thick body and four robust legs.

Moreover, beneath its steel head, there was an elephantine trunk of metal and sharp, upright steel tusks protruding from its mouth. Judging by the gleaming black tips, if it were to charge head-on, it was doubtful whether the city’s iron gate could withstand even a few such impacts; the outcome would likely be grim.

“That’s… a Chariot-class demon. How could such a high-level demon appear in the city?” Watching the demon approach with thunderous steps, Wen Hui exclaimed in shock.

From the moment it entered their view, Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui instantly recognized it as a Chariot-class demon, a tier above the captain-level. Its head possessed extraordinary defenses, and it retained the regeneration abilities of the captain rank. Though its four arms had degenerated and vanished, its offensive power had only increased.

“Looks like the situation in the city has turned dire. With Chariot-class demons appearing, there might already be high-ranking evil gods, perhaps even king-level ones, lurking among us.” Zhuang Xiaoyuan stared grimly at the advancing demon, her body tensing in readiness for battle.

The only consolation was that the city had conducted numerous emergency evacuation drills. While Zhuang Xiaoyuan and her companions fought the captain-level demon, the civilians of South Street and nearby areas had already taken shelter. Otherwise, the charging Chariot-class would have caused heavy casualties. The only remaining worry was the possibility of a high-ranking — or even king-level — demon hidden among the refugees.