Boom.
Fang Han had barely emerged from the ancient teleportation array when blinding arcs of blade-light roared toward him. Sonic booms detonated around his ears—nearly seven thousand demon blades wove themselves into a sky-filling net, descending to shred him apart. Each blade was a top-tier spirit weapon: an Echo-Killing Demon Blade.
These blades were signature weapons of the Earth Demon race. When he'd encountered the demoness underground before, this was the very weapon she had wielded. Though not true Dao artifacts, their lethality far surpassed normal flying swords. Only elite demons among the Earth Demon clans could use them.
Now more than seven thousand of these blades closed in, forming a slaughter formation capable of grinding a mountain into powder. Even Golden Core cultivators would have retreated in fear.
But Fang Han was far stronger than any ordinary Golden Core expert.
"Devour."
A tide of devouring magic burst from his body. The incoming blades were swallowed whole, vanishing into the black vortex without a trace.
Next came a cascade of explosions—thousands of flying Yakshas, hundreds of white-haired Fiend Zombies, Shuras, and even several Great Shuras—cultivators who had reached the divine-ability realm—were torn apart mid-air in waves of blood and qi.
All that blood essence condensed into a rain, then was dragged by an unseen force into the swirling black void.
A heartbeat later, the void collapsed, and Fang Han stepped out.
With a single move—executed through a thousand micro-strikes—he had annihilated thousands of underground demons. Their blood essence was devoured by his Great Devouring Array, refined into pure vitality to fuel his eventual Golden Core breakthrough.
With the immediate danger cleared, Fang Han finally took stock of his surroundings.
Just as he suspected—the Earth Demons had seized control of the teleportation array. Beyond the array, a dense tide of demons filled the cavern: Yakshas, Winged Yakshas, Shuras, Fiend Zombies, Great Shuras… and even human cultivators.
He knew well that human nations existed in the deep underground.
Among the demons, several Great Shuras radiated terrifying power. Their aura wavered with the pressure of Golden Core formation—they were small giants of their race.
"So many Earth Demons… and several Golden Cores among them. There must be a Longevity-realm Demon Emperor hiding in the depths. Time to get out."
He had killed thousands in a single breath, devoured every Echo-Killing Blade—yet he had no intention of staying. If only Golden Core demons were present, he'd gladly harvest them for their cores and fuel his rise. But with a Longevity-realm ancient giant lurking, he would be the one harvested instead.
Even if he formed his Golden Core and unleashed the Nine Ghosts Primordial Spirit, the Yellow Springs Diagram, the Blood Night King, and the Sun-Moon Five-Star Bracers… he still couldn't contend with a Longevity giant. At best, he could flee with his life.
"Your Highness! A powerful intruder! He's using demonic techniques—what do we do?"
His massacre hadn't gone unnoticed. At the heart of the demon army, beneath a billowing canopy of demonic radiance, stood several breathtakingly handsome demon youths and maidens—obviously nobles of the Earth Demon race.
Their canopy was a Dao artifact—a lower-tier one, on par with the Blood Night King. Embroidered across its fabric were countless demon gods—three-headed six-armed titans, winged beast-men, serpent-headed warriors standing on twin dragons… each one vivid enough to come alive.
"A Dao artifact canopy… impressive defense. I wonder how it compares to my Five Emperors Demon Canopy," Fang Han thought as he prepared to escape.
The artifact tempted him, but the powerhouses beneath it did not.
He had no intention of provoking them. But they had already decided to provoke him.
"Kill him! Demon Emperor Chi-Lie has already sent two incarnations—one to suppress Hua Tiandu, one to subdue the Great Xuan elders. We must seize control of the Panlong Star array! That star hides countless dragon eggs and ancient dragon ruins. Its value is immeasurable."
From beneath the canopy, a stunning young demon stepped forward—his aura regal, overwhelming. With a flick of his fingers, he burst into motion, transforming into a streak of black light tearing toward Fang Han. His spiritual pressure swallowed heaven and earth, and a torrent of demonic qi erupted from his body, condensing into a winged, flame-breathing demon dragon.
He had reached the Ninth Stage of divine abilities—manifesting his Heaven and Earth Dharma Body. His dharma form was a demon dragon, proof that he cultivated the supreme demonic art: the Demon Dragon Path.
"When you die, don't forget whose hand ended you—mine. Crown Prince Chi Feng."
Chi Feng's divine soul and demon-dragon dharma surged downward like an eagle diving for its prey.
Fang Han's eyes turned to ice.
"Idiot. You're begging for death."
His figure vanished.
Pop.
In a thousandth of a second, he reappeared beside Chi Feng and punched.
It was like a hundred volcanoes erupting at once.
Chi Feng's armor and robes—top-grade treasures—flared with protective magic, but layer after layer shattered. More than a hundred levels of protective formations disintegrated into glittering shards of spiritual light.
With that single punch, his armor and robes—both peerless treasures—were obliterated. Only because his demon-dragon dharma had recoiled into his body at the last instant did he survive at all.
Chi Feng vomited blood, plummeting like a dead dog, crashing into the ground.
"Consider this mercy. Next time, don't show off in front of me." Fang Han dropped after him, then with a soft sound slipped into the earth and vanished.
"Chi Feng!"
"Your Highness!"
The demon nobles surged forward, too late. They retrieved the fallen crown prince, sheltered him beneath the Dao artifact canopy, and poured demonic qi into him until he finally regained consciousness.
"That man… his power is terrifying. If I hadn't withdrawn my dharma body, I'd be dead." Chi Feng's face was ashen. A noble from birth, he had never suffered humiliation like this. Had he known Fang Han's strength, he would have activated the Demon Canopy sooner.
"Do we pursue?"
"How? He burrowed into the ground. And with that strength… only a Demon Emperor could overpower him."
"Then send the army into Panlong Star. Restore the ancient array with crystal jades!"
…
After burrowing through the earth for more than an hour, Fang Han and Prince Yi finally surfaced far from the underground battlefield—back on the surface of the Xuanhuang World.
"What do we do? The demons have seized the teleportation array. The princes of the Great Xuan Empire trapped inside—how are they supposed to escape?" Prince Yi asked anxiously.
"What are you afraid of? If the princes die, you have fewer rivals. And they won't die that easily. Hua Tiandu is still in there, and the Fourth Prince Yi Qing and the Golden Core princes won't fall so easily," Fang Han said. Now that he was safe, he could breathe again.
He wanted to witness the clash between a Demon Emperor and Hua Tiandu—but that was suicide.
"That's true. None of them are pushovers. And our elder council isn't gone. Some of our Supreme Elders will definitely come. Hard to say who wins," Prince Yi said.
"Then we wait. When ancient giants fight, we can't intervene at all—we'd die before we even understood how."
They flew back to Xuanhuang City and retreated to Prince Yi's manor. For three days they waited.
Finally—news came.
Many imperial princes had died. But the Golden Core princes, the Unity-realm experts, and the Heaven-man realm True Persons survived.
Several Supreme Elders of the empire—and even the Xuan Emperor himself—had fought the Demon Emperors Chi-Lie and Chi-Ba, annihilating thousands of miles of underground territory. They rescued everyone trapped on Panlong Star—but the teleportation array was destroyed in the process.
From now on, Panlong Star was unreachable—unless someone powerful enough tore open a spatial tunnel to the distant star.
Hua Tiandu had only suffered light wounds in his clash with Demon Emperor Chi-Lie. He had returned to Yuhua Sect to heal, not to Taiyi Sect.
And so, this great conflict between the Great Xuan Empire and the demon clans came to an end.
Neither side obtained control of Panlong Star. The star filled with dragon eggs, ancient dragon ruins, and priceless secrets… fell silent once more.
Fang Han let out a long breath.
There was no question—
he was the greatest winner of this expedition.