He had never imagined that one day he would witness the fall of a Great Emperor with his own eyes.
He had no idea what the Battle of the Emperors must have looked like tens of thousands of years ago, but he doubted it could have been much worse than this — only back then, Devouring Emperor Wu Kuang had stood supreme, and even when the Great Emperors joined forces, he had still cut several of them down. Wu Kuang, who had cultivated the Devouring Battle Art, possessed terrifying regenerative ability and endurance; even he had perished in the Shattered Star Sea. What chance, then, did Bright Moon have?
He should have anticipated this scene long ago, yet when it actually unfolded before his eyes, he still couldn't bear it. His body swayed, and on instinct he activated the Space Laws, ready to charge forward.
No matter how little he could contribute, at this moment he was the only one who could save Bright Moon. If even he didn't act, then under this entire sky, who else could lend the old man a hand? As for the consequences — Yang Kai had no time to consider them. He had come to the Demon Realm in the first place primarily for Bright Moon. Now that Bright Moon's life hung by a thread, he naturally couldn't just stand by and watch the man's fall without lifting a finger.
From within the surface of the Demon Mirror came a chorus of startled cries from the various Demon Saints. The scene reflected in the mirror was retreating rapidly — clearly, Yu Rumeng had sensed danger and was fleeing the battlefield to avoid being caught in Bright Moon's self-detonation.
But in the very next instant, Yu Rumeng's alarmed voice rang out from the mirror: "No — it was a trap!"
Yang Kai's body froze, and the Space Laws he had been mobilizing immediately dispersed. He turned his head toward the mirror.
The blinding white radiance that had filled the mirror's surface had vanished without a trace. And through Yu Rumeng's eyes, he could see that Bright Moon had transformed into a streak of white light, seizing the moment when the Demon Saints pulled back to break through the encirclement, hurtling off in a specific direction.
Whoooosh — whiiiish —
The sound of arrows splitting the air. Above the cloud layer, the Feather Demon Saint Fuyu had drawn her bow, and as her fingers released, several streaks of light shot forth like comets chasing the moon. The arrows ignored the constraints of space entirely — the moment they left the string, they were already upon Bright Moon's back.
The heart Yang Kai had just set down lurched once more.
Though he hadn't faced those arrows head-on, he could still imagine the terrifying marksmanship of a Feather Demon Saint. Bo Ya was only a middle-rank Demon Lord, but how many upper-rank Demon Lords had died to her arrows? Long-range assassination was precisely what Feather Demons excelled at. Even at his peak, Bright Moon might not have been able to dodge them — let alone now.
Just as Yang Kai's heart was caught in his throat, Bright Moon's retreating figure suddenly plunged downward, as though eyes had grown on the back of his head, barely evading the volley of arrows by a hair's breadth.
Before Yang Kai could even feel relieved, those streaks of light curved in unison and continued their pursuit.
Fuyu's arrows seemed to have locked onto Bright Moon with spiritual sense — no matter where he fled, to the ends of the earth, he could not shake them.
Bright Moon twisted and dodged several more times, yet still could not shake the chasing arrows. And in the time that bought, the Demon Saints he had just deceived had recovered their composure. Their figures flickered as they closed in from every direction — within three breaths, they would have him surrounded again, and the brilliant opening Bright Moon had so painstakingly crafted would be lost entirely.
He proved decisive to the very end. Mid-flight, he spun around, his hands forming a seal, and beams of moonlight shot back to meet the incoming arrows.
A thunderous series of explosions rang out. The moonlight vanished, and every one of the pursuing arrows was knocked from the sky. But the backlash sent blood trickling from the corner of Bright Moon's lips.
Though the price had been steep, as long as he neutralized Fuyu's volley, Bright Moon still had a real chance to escape. The Demon Saints' encirclement had not yet closed — the nearest among them, the Blood Demon, was still a hundred li away. If he could reach the nearest World Gate in time, he might just manage to slip free and—
A dark shadow suddenly materialized behind him like a specter. A sliver of ghostly light drifted, almost lazily, in a horizontal slash…
Yang Kai's eyes went wide, and the blood in his veins turned to ice in that single instant.
Time seemed to freeze. On the Demon Mirror's surface, Bright Moon still stood facing the assembled Demon Saints. But behind him, a dark shadow pressed against his side — no one could tell when it had appeared. It was as though it had always been there.
The afterglow of moonlight had not yet fully faded when blood erupted from Bright Moon's waist—
The image resumed its flow.
Blood sprayed through the air. Bright Moon's entire body shuddered as though struck by lightning, and without a moment's thought, he swung a palm strike behind him. The spectral figure retreated with extraordinary speed, evading the blow, and came to a stop a hundred zhang away. Its gaze was calm and level as it looked forward, a jet-black dagger held in a reverse grip — its blade was now stained crimson with blood, stark and blinding.
Every Demon Saint halted in their tracks. Not one moved to press the attack. All of them gazed at Bright Moon with complex expressions — no elation at success, no hatred for a foe. Even Xue Li and Huo Bu, who had been locked in combat with Bright Moon moments before, were utterly silent…
That single strike had nearly cut Bright Moon in half. The Demon Saints no longer needed to do anything. Even if they stayed their hands, Bright Moon could not escape this place. The blow had not only nearly bisected him — it had severed his last hope of flight.
The next act on this stage was reserved for the Half-Saints who coveted the fortune on offer. The Demon Saints had long reached an agreement: unless absolutely forced, none would interfere. Whoever ultimately claimed the prize would depend entirely on the abilities of their own Half-Saints.
"Wu Hua!" Before the Demon Mirror, Yang Kai clenched his fists, teeth gritted, and growled.
But almost immediately, he realized that the one who had ambushed Bright Moon was not Wu Hua — because in Yu Rumeng's field of vision, the Shadow Demon Saint Wu Hua was clearly positioned on the opposite side.