The Ancestor of All Demons

"Don't you care about your nephew anymore?" Shi Feiyang pointed with his Dragon Claw at the Three Talents Mirror that had fallen to the ground, "That was the Treasure of the Cave that bound your nephew's Primordial Spirit, and you actually destroyed it?"

Sikong Hu felt a darkness before his eyes upon hearing this and almost fainted!

He also knew the spell to bind someone else's Primordial Spirit and understood that to prevent the person who was bound from freeing themselves, the Performer usually cast a spell on the Treasure of the Cave to prevent the bound person from approaching it. More advanced precautions were taken to prevent others from rescuing the trapped soul by connecting the Treasure of the Cave with the bound person's Primordial Spirit, linking their fates. Once the Treasure was destroyed, the bound person's soul would also scatter and dissipate!

He hastened to look towards the place where his nephew Sikong Xuan had just been, but naturally found nothing. He formed hand seals to cast a spell to summon him, but there was no response, which made him both anxious and furious. He called out several times in succession, but there was no answer from the empty woods.

Shi Feiyang had released the Three Talents Mirror intending to trap Sikong Hu first then explain the situation, using it as leverage to force Sikong Hu to leave and to battle using their inner cores, all to avoid damaging the Queen Mother Grass below.

Who would have known Sikong Hu would show such divine might? Before he even had a chance to speak, the Three Talents Mirror was pierced by a sword. The Treasure of the Cave was destroyed, and naturally, Sikong Xuan's Primordial Spirit was extinguished, his soul scattered to the winds.

Sikong Hu's eyes were blood-red with rage, "Evil beast! Wretched beast! I'm going to flay you, pull out your sinews, crush your bones to dust, and scatter them to avenge my nephew!"

He merged with his sword to launch an attack. The sword light was even more brilliant than before, illuminating the entire valley brightly.

Shi Feiyang spat out his Divine Fire Primordial Pill, and a fist-sized Fiery Flame Treasure Pearl flew out, blocking the White Light Sword. Sword and pearl clashed, tumbling over each other in the sky, and for a moment, the battle was fiercely intense.

Sikong Hu exerted all his strength to attack aggressively with his sword, but he discovered that the energy contained within the Demon Dragon Core was too powerful. Each impact on his sword was like a small mountain bearing down, making the Sword technique he formed with his hands heavy, and as the blade moved, it became quite unsmooth.

After a short fight, he roared, "Evil beast, witness my Magical Treasure!" and threw out millions of Tianxin Divine Needles.

These needles, finer than cow hair, each emitted a streak of electricity. When millions were released at once, their fine, concentrated glimmers lit up like a magnificent tree of fire blossoms in the night sky.

A sky full of needle glimmers shot rapidly towards Shi Feiyang, faster than the wind and denser than rain, instantly submerging his enormous body!

It was Shi Feiyang's first time in a duel, his nerves taut throughout. The moment Sikong Hu raised his hand, his keen Dragon Eyes discerned the nature of these fine cow hair needles. He hurriedly stirred his Heart Fire and spat a stream of True Essence Qi towards the Divine Fire inner core in front, causing the flames on the inner core to violently surge. With a fierce inhale, Shi Feiyang drew back the True Fire from the inner core into his mouth, then once more he agitated the Essence Energy, spurring flames to erupt from all over his body, from beneath each scale, instantly transforming into a giant Fire Dragon.

The countless Tianxin Divine Needles assailed the "body of the Fire Dragon" that was Shi Feiyang, but with metal conquered by fire, especially when the fine Yin metal faced the Immortal Fire containing True Yang, it was like stoking a furnace and singeing fine hairs. All twenty-eight thousand fine electric needles turned into thin wisps of smoke in the flames, completely vanquished in an instant!

Seeing this spectacle, Sikong Hu was both furious and heartbroken, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood. His Tianxin Divine Needles, the Treasure of the Cave he had painstakingly nourished and refined for sixty years, which had made him invincible throughout the world and taken countless enemies' lives, that had effortlessly captured the Tuo Dragons of the Yangzi River—now, when unleashed, failed to produce any effect and were destroyed in an instant.

Shi Feiyang had broken the opponent's flying needles and continued to propel his Divine Fire Inner Core forward. This core, linked to his very life, operated at the behest of his will. Wherever his intention directed, the core would fly, unlike when controlling the sword before. In a renewed duel with Sikong Hu, who couldn't gain the upper hand with his swordsmanship, Shi Feiyang's 3,000 years of effort gradually overwhelmed him, forcing Sikong Hu to repeatedly retreat under the pressure of the core.

Shi Feiyang knew that if he let Sikong Hu escape, he would surely seek revenge, crafting a Magical Treasure to specifically target him and recruit assistants like Pu Miaomiao, leaving Shi Feiyang without peace, even if he remained alive.

Worried Sikong Hu might flee, Shi Feiyang did not press too aggressively with the Fire Pill. Openly, he engaged with sword and bead, clashing back and forth, while secretly summoning another True Water Inner Core from within his abdomen, casting spells to create a thick fog, spreading it far and wide.

Sikong Hu, determined to avenge his dragon slaying, called forward the long banner he had used previously to set up his formation. Sixteen panels of treasure banners, bright yellow in color, stood side-by-side like a massive screen. On the banners, Spirit Talismans with Eight Wood and Eight Metal, Yin Wood, and Yin Metal were of the purest Yin variety. Each banner imprisoned a demon forged from the Primordial Spirits of Cultivators, which, drawing on the yin energy from the banners, conjured masses of Thunder Fire to bombard Shi Feiyang relentlessly.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the Fire Element Daoist Technique from the Heavenly Book Supplement, stimulating the Divine Fire Primordial Pill. The core spun ceaselessly in the air, repelling the White Light Flying Sword while spewing flames all around it, from which various fiery creatures emerged—Fire Sparrows, Fire Rats, Fire Rabbits, Fire Snakes, Fire Cats, Fire Eagles... These flaming beasts automatically sought targets, colliding with the incoming Demon Fire Yin Thunder, exploding into fireballs the size of houses, perishing together.

Both dueling with spells, the fight was fiercely intense. Shi Feiyang took the opportunity to generate more fog, filling the valley with dense mist.

Sikong Hu, with powerful Daoist energy, parried the Divine Fire Inner Core with an Immortal Sword and sixteen banners, matching Shi Feiyang. Meanwhile, Shi Feiyang readied another True Water Primordial Pill to circle behind Sikong Hu through the thick fog and deliver a fatal blow.

Just as he was about to expel the core, he suddenly heard Sikong Hu let out a cry that trembled with shock and fury, and the force transmitted through the White Light Sword dramatically weakened.

Shi Feiyang, sensing a crisis for his adversary, quickly expelled True Yuan, propelling the Divine Fire Inner Core directly at him. The White Light Sword, too weak to block, was hastily called back while Shi Feiyang commanded the Inner Core to emit sixteen Fire Dragons, which flew out ferociously, clawing at each Demon Banner.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..." the sixteen banners caught fire one after another, turning into blazing torches. The demons strapped to the banners were entwined by the Fire Dragons, struggling wildly and emitting piercing screams.

The Divine Fire Inner Core was unstoppable, continuing its collision course with Sikong Hu.

Sikong Hu urgently summoned his flying sword to slay a Poisonous Snake. His attention had been fully on the duel when suddenly, a Red-Scaled Strange Snake emerged from the fog behind him, spewing out a stream of deadly red mist.

Sikong Hu, struck from behind by the poisonous fog, immediately felt the world spin. He quickly tried to quell the effects with his True Yuan, turning to see the strange snake. Shocked and enraged, he thought, "You beast, you dare oppose me too? I'll see you dead!"

He sliced the Poisonous Snake into three pieces with the White Light Sword and was ready to continue fighting, but the Divine Fire Inner Core was upon him. A desperate thought flashed through his mind; he knew trouble was imminent. He attempted to unite with his sword and flee, but his poisoned state slowed his reaction. Before he could merge with the sword's light, the Divine Fire Inner Core struck his body, instantly exploding into a ball of fire, reducing him to ash before his remains hit the ground.

Shi Feiyang rushed over, first grabbing the trying-to-escape White Light Sword, then retrieving the Divine Fire Inner Core back into his abdomen.

Looking down at the three severed sections of the snake, he was somewhat puzzled, "Are you here to help me kill the enemy or do you have a personal vendetta against him? It's a pity, whatever your reason, in such a state, I can't save you."