Ren Kurogane immediately rushed forward and shouted, "I'll help you!"
A gust of wind swept through the air, and Ren's figure vanished into the space around him.
The next second, he appeared right in front of Jin Renfeng.
Raising one hand toward the sky, he formed an enormous sphere of swirling wind that radiated a blue-white glow.
"Rasengan!"
With a thunderous shout, Ren drove the sphere toward Jin Renfeng. Its terrifying force threatened to tear apart everything in its path.
"What?!"
Jin Renfeng's expression changed drastically. Sensing the complex flow of magical energy within the Rasengan, he retreated without hesitation, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The Rasengan continued forward without losing momentum, heading straight for the One Qi Alliance members hovering in the sky on their flying swords.
These men were nowhere near as powerful as Jin Renfeng. Faced with an attack from a Demon King, they couldn't dodge in time and were struck head-on.
BOOM!!
In an instant, the terrifying rotational force of the Rasengan ground those hit by it to pieces, scattering flesh across the sky.
Everyone's gaze shifted dramatically as they looked at Ren.
Jin Renfeng, in particular, regarded him with a complicated mixture of emotions.
Killing intent, fear, and a host of other conflicting feelings surged through his mind.
Eventually, he remembered his current predicament.
If he couldn't obtain the Dongfang family's spiritual blood, he would have only another year or two to live.
No. He might even drop dead as soon as he returned home after today's battle!
His resolve hardened, and the flames around him burned even more fiercely.
The sky turned crimson beneath the blazing fire. Even Ren, a Demon King, could feel the oppressive heat.
"Demons of Tushan! Hand over Dongfang Qinlan!"
"That depends on whether you have what it takes," Ren sneered.
Jin Renfeng said nothing more. He knew there were only two ways to get someone out of Tushan: pay the price or have a strong enough fist.
Paying wasn't an option. Tushan was notorious for being a black-hearted business. Even if he emptied his entire fortune, he might still fail to get what he wanted.
That left only one choice!
"Let this little demon experience the might of the Pure Yang Flame!" Jin Renfeng roared.
Just as he was about to attack, a delicate hand struck at him from behind.
Sizzle!
The sound of burning flesh rang out again. Honghong's hand had been scorched by the Pure Yang Flame surrounding Jin Renfeng's body.
Honghong grunted. She was about to trade an injury for an opening and force her way through his protective flames when Jin Renfeng reacted in time. He concentrated the flames behind himself and fired a beam of fire, forcing her back.
"Sister Honghong!"
Yaya rushed forward and caught her sister as she retreated.
Honghong kept her eyes on Jin Renfeng and asked Yaya, "Yaya, can you freeze his flames?"
"Th-this… No…" Yaya's cheeks reddened slightly.
She had just fought Jin Renfeng herself and had been completely outmatched. If Ren hadn't intervened, she would already have been injured.
Yaya regretted not working harder on her cultivation. If she were a Demon Emperor herself, would a little Golden Pig dare to cause trouble in Tushan?
Once I get back, I'm going into seclusion! I won't come out until I break through to the Demon Emperor realm!
While the sisters spoke, Ren and the Golden Pig were already fighting.
Facing the Pure Yang Flame, Ren remained on high alert.
Jin Renfeng himself wasn't particularly impressive, but the Demon-Slaying Divine Flame was genuinely troublesome. As long as you were a demon, you were vulnerable to its power.
A layer of swirling wind surrounded Ren, forming a sturdy shield. Whenever Jin Renfeng's attacks struck it, they immediately slid away and veered off in another direction.
Even elemental attacks made of fire were no exception!
"Damn it! What's wrong with this guy? How can that shield be so bizarre?" Jin Renfeng cursed inwardly.
His remaining lifespan was rapidly running out, and his thoughts were in complete disarray.
A wind blade shot toward him. Jin Renfeng countered with a burst of fire, neutralizing it.
Taking advantage of the explosion caused by their attacks, Jin Renfeng decisively abandoned his fight with Ren and flew toward Honghong and Yaya. In his eyes, the two fox demons would be much easier to deal with!
"Trying to run?"
Ren's figure flashed, and he appeared in Jin Renfeng's path. With a wave of his hand, he sent several wind blades toward him, forcing him back.
While Jin Renfeng ground his teeth in frustration, Ren spotted Qinlan and her family on the city wall.
He immediately called to Honghong behind him.
"Sister Honghong, Qinlan is waiting for you on the wall. Go to her. She knows what to do."
Honghong didn't understand, but seeing Ren's smile, she decided to trust him.
After all, Ren was the only one here who could fight Jin Renfeng for any length of time.
Even she, a Demon Emperor, had no way to deal with the Pure Yang Flame.
A mere brush against it was enough to cause injury.
Holding Yaya, Honghong transformed into a streak of red light and flew back to the city wall.
Meanwhile, Jin Renfeng spotted Qinlan standing there. He was so excited that he nearly burst into tears.
"Junior Sister! Is that really you?"
The way he shouted, tears streaming down his face, made him look like a loving senior brother who had spent years worrying about his younger sister.
On the wall, Qinlan saw his revolting expression and immediately cursed him.
"You treacherous beast who betrayed your master! Stop making that disgusting face at me! I'll help Honghong kill you right here!"
Honghong had only just returned, and she still had no idea what Qinlan meant.
"Why have both Ren and you been saying the same thing?" Cu Yu Ling urged her. "What exactly do you have that can counter the Pure Yang Flame? Hurry up and use it!"
Qinlan turned and bowed to Cu Yu Ling.
"I'll have to trouble you afterward."
Then she smiled at Honghong.
"First Mistress, may I borrow your hand?"
Honghong looked puzzled.
Before she could ask anything, Qinlan took her hand and used it to pierce her own chest.
"What?!"
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone. Not one of them had expected Qinlan to do something like this!
They cried out in alarm.
Cu Yu Ling immediately transformed into her true form, a gigantic leech, and swallowed Qinlan whole.
Suddenly, Qinlan struggled to stick her head out again and explained to Honghong, "The heart's blood of our Dongfang family can greatly reduce the damage caused by the Pure Yang Flame. After this, your Absolute Edge Claws should become completely immune to its damage."
Seeing the pain on Honghong's face, Qinlan smiled.
"Don't look at me like that. With Miss Cu Yu Ling here, I won't die."
Not only would she survive, but after helping their family, she might even become an honored guest in Tushan. And she would never have to take advantage of Ren again!
While the sisters shared this touching moment, Jin Renfeng nearly lost his mind.
The Dongfang spiritual blood he had desperately longed for had just been spilled all over the ground!
He was heartbroken. That blood was what he needed to prolong his life!
He roared furiously, "You insolent fox demons! How dare you hurt my junior sister! I'll kill you all!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A violent gust swept through the air. A streak of black wind silently passed Jin Renfeng, instantly scattering the flames surrounding him.
The moment the flames dispersed, the black wind transformed into Ren's figure.
"Sister Honghong! Now!"
A streak of red light flashed through the sky.
A gaping hole appeared in Jin Renfeng's chest!
Honghong's claw had torn through him, shattering his internal organs and reducing them to a mess of flesh.
Even Cu Yu Ling couldn't save Jin Renfeng in this condition.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the people in the sky.
He could feel his life rapidly slipping away. His parched throat moved as though he were trying to say something, but not a single sound emerged.
Whoosh!
A wind blade flashed past, separating Jin Renfeng's head from his body!
Ren beckoned with his hand, and Jin Renfeng's severed head landed in his palm.
It was his first time killing a person, yet he felt no discomfort.
Ren decided that the people of Tushan must have corrupted him!
Only a handful of insignificant survivors remained from the One Qi Alliance's force. That was convenient. They could spread the news of what had happened in Tushan today.
Everyone needed to understand that Tushan was powerful now. It wasn't a place where just any nobody could come and provoke them.
When Ren returned to the city wall, Cu Yu Ling had already treated Qinlan's external wound. She only needed to rest for a while to recover completely.
"As expected of Cu Yu Ling! You can even heal a wound that pierces straight through the chest so quickly!" Ren praised her sincerely.
Cu Yu Ling smiled. "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Demon King!"
"Come on," Ren replied with a laugh. "What's so impressive about being a Demon King? We're just a bunch of weaklings~"
While the two were talking, Qinlan noticed the severed head Ren had thrown onto the ground. She immediately shouted to little Yuechu and his father, who were still staring in stunned silence.
"You two! Get over here and kick this pig's head a few times!"
Yuechu's father was the first to react. He took the little boy by the hand and led him toward Jin Renfeng's head.
"Yuechu, come kick it with your dad!"
He raised his foot and stomped hard on the head.
Little Yuechu copied him.
Qinlan had told Yuechu since childhood that Jin Renfeng was their family's greatest enemy. The boy was still a little confused by everything that had happened, but he didn't particularly resist.
With Qinlan cheering them on, father and son soon got their fill of kicking the head.
When Honghong saw the happy family of three, she sighed and turned to Rongrong.
"From now on, cover all their expenses in Tushan."
"Understood." Rongrong smiled.
She then turned to Ren.
"Ren, thank you for your help this time."
"Hehe! If you really want to thank me, why not wipe out all my previous debts?" Ren asked with a grin.
Tushan didn't seem particularly concerned about the debt he owed, but having it hanging over his head forever wasn't ideal either.
"Of course." Rongrong nodded. "Starting today, we'll pay you a salary!"
"Yes!"
Seeing that everything had been settled, Yaya announced, "I'm going back to cultivate. Don't bother me unless it's important."
With that, she hurried away.
In the battle against Jin Renfeng, even Qinlan's family, who usually seemed to serve little purpose, had played a crucial role. Meanwhile, Tushan Yaya had been little more than a bystander, doing practically nothing throughout the entire fight.
For Yaya, that was a serious blow.
With the matter settled, everyone gradually went their separate ways.
Yaya went into seclusion to cultivate her cold energy.
Ren spent his free time patrolling the mountains with Honghong. The rest of the time, he cultivated on his own mountain. Occasionally, he would drop by Yuechu's home for a meal.
Free food really did taste the best!
Six months later.
"Now the whole world knows what Jin Renfeng did in the past. His reputation is completely ruined! The guy was lucky he didn't leave behind any descendants. Otherwise, his children would probably be targeted by the entire world!"
Ren laughed as he spoke.
Qinlan and her family were resting beneath the tree. Their smiles never faded as they listened.
"Now everyone knows exactly what kind of person Jin Renfeng was! My father's spirit can finally rest in peace!" Qinlan said.
She looked up at the sky, smiling with a sense of relief.
Yuechu's father held his wife in his arms. The family looked blissfully happy.
Nearby, Ren and Yuechu had to endure a faceful of their affection. It was painful to watch.
"Those two really are the perfect example of love at first sight…"
Ren shook his head and went to find Honghong.
For the past six months, he had been searching for an opportunity to break through to the Demon Emperor realm.
He had finally made some progress.
However, he still wasn't certain whether his ideas were correct. He needed to discuss them with Honghong.
Beneath the Tree of Acknowledgement, Ren watched Honghong cultivating.
Spiritual energy continuously flowed toward her delicate hands.
That only strengthened his conviction.
"You've been standing there staring at me for ages," Honghong said, opening her eyes. Her tone was stiff. "If you have something to ask, just ask. Stop staring at me!"
Being watched by a man for so long made Honghong feel strangely uncomfortable.
Ren approached her and took her hand.
"Is this the key to your breakthrough to the Demon Emperor realm, Sister Honghong?"
She quietly withdrew her hand and tried to remain composed.
"I don't understand what you mean."
Ren hurriedly explained, "I'm asking whether breaking through to the Demon Emperor realm requires comprehending your own divine ability, like your Absolute Edge Claws!"
Only after hearing his explanation did Honghong feel relieved. She nodded.
"You could put it that way. However, comprehending your own divine ability is extremely difficult. If you want, I can use Tushan's power of heaven and earth to help you break through to the Demon Emperor realm."
"No! How could a genius like me, Ren Kurogane, need someone else's help? I'll definitely reach the Demon Emperor realm on my own!"
Ren rejected the offer without hesitation.
Having received confirmation from Honghong, he immediately returned to his cave and went into seclusion. He would refine his divine ability as soon as possible and become a little demon with some real say in the world.
The Demon Emperor realm might be powerful, but in front of the overpowered Third Young Master of Aolai Kingdom, what was a Demon Emperor? Just one strike of a staff!
Besides, the Tree of Acknowledgement was a strand of hair left behind by the Third Young Master's elder brother, combined with an extraterrestrial being to create an entirely new life-form.
And that elder brother, the Great Monkey, was no ordinary being either. Ren suspected he was secretly playing an enormous game of chess, with every living creature in the world serving as one of his pieces!
Ren had reasons for suspecting this.
The Third Young Master had used the reincarnation method he developed himself to be reborn. He had even brought the already-deceased Second Monkey back to life, yet he had never been able to resurrect the Great Monkey.
Was it possible that the Great Monkey had never died in the first place?
Perhaps he was still alive in a form that none of them could understand. For example, could the Tree of Acknowledgement, which seemed impossible to kill, actually be one of the Great Monkey's incarnations?
Inside his cave, Ren sat cross-legged on the ground.
He had already formed an idea for his divine ability. The only question was whether he could actually make it work!
"When it comes to wind-based divine abilities, the first choice is naturally the Three Flavors Divine Wind. Once this divine wind rises, it can scatter the three souls and seven spirits, leaving neither heaven nor earth in peace."
Just thinking about the description of the Three Flavors Divine Wind made Ren a little excited.
However, he seemed to have set his sights rather high. He had no idea how to blow away the three souls and seven spirits or stir up heaven and earth.
"Perhaps I should make a few small adjustments. I could divide the Three Flavors Divine Wind into three parts: the first blows away the physical body, the second the soul, and the third heaven and earth."