A piercing cold light flickered through Sacred Son
Yan Yang's eyebrows shot up, battle intent blazing. "Sacred Son Li Huo, though my strength may not match yours, not a single disciple of the Fire God Sect fears a fight! If we can coexist peacefully, so be it. But if the
"Hmph. I'd like to see just how capable the Fire God Sect really is!" Sacred Son Li Huo snorted coldly, and a vast, surging aura surged toward Yan Yang.
Yan Yang let out a furious shout. The features of his body rapidly transformed as he shifted into a massive golden-horned dragon beast, his entire form covered in gleaming golden scales, radiating an imposing might.
"Summoning a Demon Spirit right in front of me?!" A flash of anger crossed Sacred Son Li Huo's eyes. The human race's strength was far inferior to the demon race's, which was why humans had devised a despicable method—hunting demons and sealing their Demon Spirits within their own bodies to obtain tremendous power.
From the day the first human Demon Spirit Master was born, the demon race and the human race had harbored an irreconcilable enmity, their conflicts escalating ever more fiercely, each side wishing to utterly annihilate the other.
Scorching flames ignited across Sacred Son Li Huo's body, the entire void bathed in a dazzling crimson glow. His brow trembled slightly, and an invisible power suddenly radiated outward.
The two figures instantly became streaking lights. The Sacred Sons of the two great divine sects attacked almost simultaneously.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fire soared into the sky, scattering in all directions, the very void seeming as though it would be torn apart.
"Truly worthy of being the Sacred Sons of the Fire God Sect and the Demon God Sect—as swift as shooting stars, as powerful as thunder!" Wuyazi marveled inwardly. His own strength paled enormously in comparison to these two Sacred Sons.
The powerhouses of both divine sects also plunged into chaotic battle, though none dared to approach the area where the two Sacred Sons clashed—they could be obliterated at any moment by the shockwaves radiating outward.
The fighting grew ever more intense.
"Nie Li, what should we do next?"
"What else can we do? Wait!" Nie Li said in a low voice. He closed his eyes to rest and focused on condensing his cultivation, pushing toward the Celestial Star Realm.
Seeing Nie Li like this, Wuyazi smiled bitterly. Even in an environment like this, Nie Li and Xiao Yu could peacefully cultivate—but he couldn't. He still had to serve as Nie Li's bodyguard!
Just as Yan Yang and Sacred Son Li Huo were fighting at their most intense, another group flew into the hall. Leading them was the Divine Thunder Venerable, a man who had slain countless lives and hailed from the Five Thunder Demon Sect.
"Well, well. I didn't expect both Sacred Sons of the Fire God Sect and the Demon God Sect to be here—what a lively scene!" the Divine Thunder Venerable said in a patronizing tone. In terms of seniority, he was a full generation above both Yan Yang and Sacred Son Li Huo.
Yan Yang and Sacred Son Li Huo were locked in fierce combat, neither willing to back down.
"Divine Thunder Venerable! The Demon God Sect and your Five Thunder Demon Sect both serve under the Sacred Demon Ancestral Grounds. Help me kill these Fire God Sect people, and every last Ganges Crystal here—I'll hand them all over to you. What do you say?" Sacred Son Li Huo shouted to the Divine Thunder Venerable during a brief lull.
The Divine Thunder Venerable let out a derisive laugh. "Sacred Son Li Huo wants to strike a deal with me? I thought you preferred to act alone and never asked anyone for help?"
After the Divine Thunder Venerable's arrival, Yan Yang grew slightly anxious, and a small flaw appeared in his technique. Sacred Son Li Huo's palm struck Yan Yang square in the chest, sending him hurtling backward.
Yan Yang staggered, blood churning inside him. Sacred Son Li Huo's strength was too formidable—he was already struggling to hold his own, let alone with the Divine Thunder Venerable standing by as well.
"The quarrels between your Demon God Sect and the Fire God Sect—I have no desire to get involved. I came for the treasures of the Shadow Divine Palace. I already have sixty thousand Ganges Crystals in hand. Seize a few more, and I can break into the top six and receive a share of the Shadow Divine Palace's treasures. Whatever the two of you want to do, that's your own business." The Divine Thunder Venerable looked entirely indifferent.
Sacred Son Li Huo snorted coldly. He knew the Divine Thunder Venerable's character all too well—the man's treachery and despicability were legendary. Claiming he wouldn't get involved now probably meant he was waiting for Li Huo and Yan Yang to wear each other down before reaping the rewards. He glanced at Yan Yang. Though he had wounded him, he chose not to press further.
"With your level of strength, challenging me is still premature. I'll let you off this time!" Sacred Son Li Huo said in a deep voice.
Yan Yang looked at Sacred Son Li Huo, then at the Divine Thunder Venerable, and understood that stepping forward now would be courting death. He led the Fire God Sect powerhouses to the side to observe the situation calmly.
The Divine Thunder Venerable frowned. He hadn't expected Sacred Son Li Huo to simply stop fighting. No wonder people said he was difficult to deal with—the rumors were clearly true. The Divine Thunder Venerable smiled faintly and said, "In this Shadow Divine Palace, I'm afraid only the three of us qualify to divide the treasures. Why don't we join forces and seize every last Ganges Crystal? What do you say?"
Yan Yang's lips curled slightly. Join forces with the Demon God Sect and the Five Thunder Demon Sect? Absolutely impossible!
"If you're interested in the Ganges Crystals, then go fight over them. I've lost interest in the Ganges Crystals," Sacred Son Li Huo said calmly, stepping through the void and walking slowly downward.
The Divine Thunder Venerable frowned again. What scheme was Sacred Son Li Huo hatching now?
Nie Li opened his eyes and watched Sacred Son Li Huo's movements. Could it be that he had already deciphered the secrets of the Runic Pattern Formation?
As if sensing something, Sacred Son Li Huo's gaze flickered briefly toward Nie Li—those eerie green eyes, piercing and captivating. Nie Li quickly withdrew his gaze, keeping his expression perfectly calm. He had to ensure Sacred Son Li Huo didn't see through the Demon Blood Sacrifice, or else he'd be in serious danger.
Sacred Son Li Huo merely glanced at Nie Li before looking away, lifting his gaze to the rows of towering sculptures, seemingly deducing something.
The Divine Thunder Venerable had originally intended to compete for the Ganges Crystals, but now that Sacred Son Li Huo had seemingly backed off and Yan Yang showed no sign of contesting either, he suddenly found the prospect rather hollow. Something felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
Yan Yang's gaze lingered on Sacred Son Li Huo's retreating figure, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Something had clicked in his mind—if the Divine Thunder Venerable wanted the Ganges Crystals, then let him go after them.
A delicate balance settled over the great hall. For the moment, no one made a move.
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**Consistency flag:** 圣子 is rendered as "Sacred Son" throughout this chapter (ch. 399). However, ch. 400 reportedly switches to "Holy Son" for the same term. These should be unified across both chapters—recommend standardizing on one form for all sect sacred sons going forward.