"Brother, wait for me here."
The little monk said to Chu Feng, then confidently strode into the tower.
Xu Tianjian followed close behind.
..........
High above the void, within the barrier world, the demon monk and the mysterious woman were still locked in battle.
The clash between the crimson aura and the black aura was even more intense than before.
It was a battle on an entirely different level—one of true world-ending devastation. Under the force of that collision, human figures appeared impossibly small.
And yet, it was from those tiny bodies that such apocalyptic, terrifying power was unleashed.
The mysterious woman stood suspended in the void, unscathed, still composed, still radiating an air of otherworldly elegance.
Only now, the calm in her eyes had begun to waver.
She knew full well that her cultivation was far below the demon monk's.
The only reason she could hold her own was the heaven-defying treasure she possessed. But that treasure's power had already reached its limit, while the demon monk appeared to have yet to use his full strength.
The gap between their strength was enormous.
"Stop."
The mysterious woman suddenly shouted, and as she spoke, the surging crimson aura ceased its assault.
At the same time, the black aura halted as well.
"What's the matter, little girl?" The demon monk's face carried a hint of amusement as he spoke. He was confident, and so his smile carried a mocking edge.
"Didn't you just ask who I truly am?" the mysterious woman said.
"Changed your mind?" the demon monk asked.
"Your strength has grown tremendously. If you want to retaliate against the Totem Dragon Clan, you certainly have a real chance. I have no connection to the Totem Dragon Clan—I came here today only because of Chu Feng."
"So there's no need for us to fight to the death. You can go your way, and I'll go mine."
"As long as you promise not to harm Chu Feng, I can pretend none of this ever happened."
"But if you dare touch Chu Feng, I guarantee you won't live much longer." As she spoke, a chilling coldness surged once more in the mysterious woman's eyes.
It was a look of both threat and absolute confidence—she was certain she could make the demon monk die.
If not now, then definitely in the future!!!
"Hahaha…"
Hearing this, the demon monk burst into laughter.
"Little girl, you're already at the end of your rope—do you think this monk can't see that?"
"I already said that whether Chu Feng lives depends on whether he knows his place. If he doesn't, my disciple will absolutely not let him off."
"But if he does know his place, he can absolutely survive."
"So rather than worry about that Chu Feng, you should be worrying about yourself." The demon monk's expression turned cunning as he spoke.
ROAR—
In the next instant, the towering black aura transformed into countless razor-sharp claws, hurtling toward the mysterious woman.
The power of the black aura had grown several times stronger than during their previous exchange. The demon monk had actually been secretly gathering strength for a more devastating attack while they were talking.
So even though the crimson aura immediately enveloped the woman in a protective shroud, it was now shattering layer by layer, being pierced through by the black aura.
This kind of assault was beyond the woman's ability to withstand. Yet rather than panic, she smiled.
BOOM—
A deafening explosion rang out. The crimson aura was completely obliterated, and the black aura converged from all directions toward the woman's position.
Normally, no matter how powerful a treasure might be, it would be crushed to dust under that force. The woman should have died without a doubt.
"…"
But the demon monk's expression changed dramatically.
The mysterious woman had vanished, but her voice lingered.
"Demon monk, you shouldn't have made an enemy of me."
It was another threat, heavy with menace.
"Damn it." The demon monk's face was filled with unwillingness. He hadn't expected the mysterious woman to actually escape.
And he knew all too well that behind her stood an extraordinarily terrifying existence. If she escaped, things would become very troublesome.
Then, a voice echoed from the depths of the world.
"The girl's escape technique is stronger than her offensive techniques—there's no use being bitter about it."
"However, now that our location is exposed, she will most likely alert the Totem Dragon Clan. You need to be ready for battle."
It was the figure standing before the cauldron who spoke.
"Rest easy, brother. The Totem Dragon Clan are nothing but trash. Back then, I indeed wasn't their match, but I've long since become a completely different person. Even if Dragon Lord Lin himself comes, it would just be sending himself to his death," the demon monk said.
"Don't underestimate the enemy. Dragon Lord Lin is no ordinary figure. I still need more time. If you can't hold him off, all our efforts will be for naught," the figure before the cauldron said with some concern.
"Brother, focus on your refining. I won't underestimate them—but I can certainly handle them. If they dare come, it'll save me the trouble of going to find them."
The demon monk smiled. Though he hadn't managed to capture the mysterious woman, when it came to facing the Totem Dragon Clan, confidence had returned to his face.
……
At a location far from the Ultimate Trial.
Ling'er stood there in concealment, her tense gaze fixed on the direction of the Ultimate Trial. Cold sweat had formed on her delicate face from sheer anxiety.
WHOOSH—
Suddenly, a portal opened, and the mysterious woman stepped out.
She was completely unharmed. Apart from her eyes returning to normal, she looked virtually unchanged from before she had left.
"My lady, are you all right?"
Ling'er still rushed forward immediately, examining her carefully, terrified that the woman might be injured.
"I'm fine, Ling'er."
"But Chu Feng may be in trouble," the mysterious woman said.
"What do you mean?" Ling'er asked.
"The demon monk's strength has surged to a truly terrifying level. I'm afraid even Dragon Lord Lin may not be his match. And the treasure my Master gave me can't be used again for a short time. I'm no longer able to intervene in this matter," the mysterious woman said.
"The demon monk is that strong now? Even Dragon Lord Lin can't match him?" Ling'er was shocked.
"He's very strong. But the most frightening thing is that the demon monk has allies. They're nurturing some kind of power. If that power is fully unleashed, the Totem Dragon Clan stands no chance of winning."
"I've already warned the Totem Dragon Clan, but they're incredibly arrogant. They didn't believe me and even attacked me."
"In any case, this time Chu Feng can only rely on himself," the mysterious woman said.
"My lady, there's no need to blame yourself. We had no connection to that Chu Feng to begin with. You acted out of appreciation for his talent—you've already tried to help, and it's not as though you stood by and did nothing."
"If he truly falls here, then that is simply his own fate," Ling'er said comfortingly.