Chapter 40 The Deadly Taboo
Chapter 40 The Deadly Taboo
I nodded seriously. According to what Mink described, it should be the only female capable of transforming into a Fallen Angel—Mo Yue, who had brought her men into the Beastmen Territory.
“Mink, continue.”
“Yes, Young Master. After we discovered their changes, we took out our weapons and confronted them. But they were simply too terrifying.” Mink’s eyes flashed with intense fear. “That speed and power are impossible for a human to possess.”
I snorted coldly. “They are not of the Human race.”
Mink nodded. “Only now do I understand that they were actually Fallen Angels from the Demon Race. Brother Centaur was the first to rush forward. His actions were the prelude to our destruction. My eyes could only capture faint flashes of shadow before the sky rained Brother Centaur’s blood. He collapsed with a miserable scream.”
Mink’s voice trembled.
“My eyes reddened. We all grew up together as brothers, so I immediately prepared to rush out to avenge him while whirling my axes. But Wo Fu stopped me. He pulled me back and shouted, ‘They are not enemies we can fight! Retreat immediately!’”
“We fought while retreating, but we were all separated. Everyone tried their best to stop them from chasing us. One after another, our brothers fell. Wo Fu protected me but was also severely injured. We finally arrived here and propped up this large rock to create a hole underneath. Only because of this rock were we able to escape the enemy’s pursuit.”
“What happened to Black Dragon?” I asked.
“Black Dragon was somehow controlled by that bewitching woman, and she rode away on him. She ordered her subordinates to leave no one alive. I never saw her again after that.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
The blood-red chi around my body crackled violently.
“Rest and recover. I will not allow our brothers’ deaths to be in vain. I will make the Demon Race pay with their blood.”
Mink’s face suddenly spasmed. Horror filled his eyes as he raised his arm and pointed toward the sky while crawling backward.
“It’s them… they’ve come back.”
I looked in the direction he pointed.
Indeed, four Fallen Angels were flying toward us.
I waved my hand and struck Mink, knocking him unconscious. Intense hatred washed away my reason. With a furious roar, I pushed off the ground with both feet.
Whoosh—
I shot into the sky.
Activating the Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon, my body turned into a crimson dragon and charged toward them.
After entering Berserk Transformation, I could use two hundred percent of my strength. A monstrous torrent of chi surged toward the enemy from the sharp tip of Black Sable.
The cold, chilling waves of energy radiating from my body made the Fallen Angels uneasy. They reacted quickly. The four of them formed an arc in the air and, at their highest speed, each launched a black energy sphere. The four spheres merged together before hurtling toward me.
In my current state, I didn’t even think about dodging.
I collided with the energy sphere head-on.
A deafening explosion erupted.
The shockwave of dark magic sent me flying. I spat out a mouthful of fresh blood midair.
After all, there were four Fallen Angels. They were not enemies I could face alone.
Panzong roared loudly and flashed forward, catching my falling body. The immense momentum forced him backward more than ten steps before he finally stopped.
He was secretly shocked by the Fallen Angels’ strength. Not only had I been forced into a disadvantage in a direct clash, but the remaining force of the impact alone had nearly knocked him off balance.
The Wolf God appeared in a flash and stood in front of us, blocking the enemy’s line of sight so they could not take advantage of our weakness.
The four Fallen Angels descended to the ground twenty meters in front of us. They seemed surprised that I could still stand.
One of them noticed Mink and smirked as he stepped forward.
“No wonder we couldn’t find him. He was hiding under this rock. If that red light hadn’t revealed this place to us, he might have escaped. Ha! You all walked straight into our trap.”
His voice made my ears sting.
My Berserk Transformation rapidly repaired my meridians. At that moment, my dark magic brought my mind back to clarity.
With Panzong’s support, I stood again and glared fiercely at the enemy.
My voice was ice cold as I forced out each word.
“So you are the bastards who slaughtered my subordinates.”
The Fallen Angel looked surprised that I still had the strength to fight. The four of them studied me carefully before the oldest spoke.
“That’s right. We slaughtered them. You must be their companions. Excellent. We can sweep away the trash and return home after completing our mission.”
I shook my head slowly.
“You will not be returning anywhere. This place will be your grave. You will pay for my subordinates’ deaths with your own lives.”
“Ah… then you must be the one the princess was searching for. But the princess said—”
I snorted coldly.
“The transformation, right? Wolf God, Panzong—you will help me, won’t you?”
After regaining my senses, I understood the situation clearly. Even if I transformed into the Crimson Angel, I could not face four Fallen Angels in peak condition alone. But with the Wolf God and Panzong helping me, the outcome would be different. Each of them could easily handle one opponent, and together we had a strong chance of victory.
Jin threw aside his cloak.
Yin spoke with a voice full of hatred.
“No problem, Lei Xiang. These scoundrels dare run wild in the territory of the Beastmen. Today we will avenge your subordinates no matter what.”
Seeing that I had recovered, Panzong released me and lifted his hood. His nine heads swayed constantly.
“You dare cause chaos in my territory? You almost made me the culprit. Count me in. I will help you deal with this pile of scum.”
The ferocious and bizarre appearances of the Wolf God and Panzong briefly stunned the four Fallen Angels. They had never expected the Beastmen race to include such strange and terrifying beings.
I nodded.
“Then let us transform together and show them whether Beastmen are easy to bully.”
“Darkness condense in my soul. To have fallen is to be freed. Awaken, the myriad magical powers slumbering in my blood!”
As I chanted the transformation spell, the dark magic within my body became violent and surged wildly, gradually merging with the Mad God chi that filled me.
Two crimson wings burst from my back.
Endless power surged through my body. The severe internal injuries I had suffered earlier were immediately suppressed.
The Wolf God began chanting as well. It was the first time I had heard their transformation incantation.
Jin chanted, “Sun, cousin who grants warmth to Mother Earth, bestow upon me your endless power!”
Yin chanted, “Moon, cousin who brings light to darkness, cleanse my body and soul with your endless brilliance!”
Then they chanted together.
“Awaken, blood of the Wolf God that lies dormant!”
The Wolf God raised their head and released a long, thunderous howl toward the sky.
Their body expanded rapidly. Their fur grew longer and thicker as they transformed into their most powerful form—a gigantic four-limbed wolf whose body shimmered with gold and silver light.
The immense energy radiating from them crushed the surrounding shrubs.
Panzong refused to fall behind. All nine of his heads began chanting simultaneously.
“Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind—the purest energies of nature—ignite the desire within me! Awaken, the blood of the Serpent King that lies dormant!”
He rolled across the ground as his body expanded rapidly. His size grew to nearly ten times its original form.
The four Fallen Angels, witnessing such terrifying transformations, immediately retreated hundreds of feet.
Panzong’s nine enormous heads swayed in the air as he launched the first attack.
A torrent of third- and fourth-rank elemental magic shot toward the Fallen Angels. Even with their speed, they could not evade such a widespread assault. They struggled desperately as they attempted to dodge the storm of spells.
Had Mink not been unconscious, he would have been utterly stunned.
Wolf God and I charged forward simultaneously toward two of the Fallen Angels.
I targeted the oldest one.
After transforming, my speed far surpassed that of the Wolf God. Wrapped in crimson light filled with killing intent, I wielded Black Sable and shot toward my enemy like lightning.
To my surprise, that Fallen Angel actually managed to block my powerful strike. Although he was sent flying, I sensed that I had not dealt any damage. I judged that this fellow must have already cultivated the sixth level of the Heavenly Demon Art. Otherwise, there was no way he could have come out of the first exchange unscathed.
My previous victory against four Fallen Angels was primarily because the enemies were already injured. My transformation also caught them off guard, and with my lightning-fast speed I was able to take advantage of their confusion and kill them quickly.
But this time was different.
Although I had transformed into the Crimson Angel, compared with a Fallen Angel who had cultivated the Heavenly Demon Art to the sixth level, I only held a slight advantage. Killing him would not be easy.
No one knew that the Fallen Angel was even more surprised than I was. He had just broken through to the sixth level of the Heavenly Demon Art not long ago. He had initially believed that no one besides a Dragon General could match him in combat. Yet here in the Beastmen Territory, a place where he believed himself unrivaled, he was already at a disadvantage after the first clash.
After exchanging hundreds of blows in the air, I gradually gained the upper hand, and he could only defend passively.
The Wolf God’s combination of magic and battle energy caught their enemy unprepared. That Fallen Angel, who had only reached the fifth level of the Heavenly Demon Art, was beaten badly. It was obvious that he could not hold out much longer.
Panzong revealed his true strength during the battle. Even I, after transforming into the Crimson Angel, could clearly feel the gap between our powers.
Panzong fought head-on against the two other Fallen Angels who had reached the fifth level of the Heavenly Demon Art. They were assaulted by waves of magic attacks, poison gas, and physical strikes from his nine serpent heads. Already badly battered, they could only defend themselves by standing back to back.
At that moment we held the absolute upper hand. If Mo Yue were here, even she might not have been able to prevent us from taking revenge.
The deaths of my brothers continued to stimulate my mind. As my attacks grew wilder, the Mad God Arts were unleashed continuously.
“Hundred Splits of Mad Shadows.”
The sky seemed to turn crimson. Countless red shadows centered around the Fallen Angel and lunged at him wildly.
That Fallen Angel, who appeared to be in his forties, could no longer defend against my attacks. The red shadows pierced his body again and again. Suddenly his body exploded, turning into a rain of flesh and blood that scattered through the air.
At the same time, the Wolf God launched their final attack, once again displaying their ultimate technique—Yin Jian Gold Tornado Explosion.
Their opponent had no time to gather his full strength to defend and was instantly torn to pieces.
Long before I launched my final attack, Panzong had already begun casting a meteor spell. At the moment the Wolf God’s opponent was shredded to pieces, a gigantic stone, like a small mountain, began falling from the sky.
The remaining two Fallen Angels’ eyes filled with fear and despair.
One of them suddenly showed a resolute expression. Gathering all his strength, he hurled his companion out of the circle and roared, “Hurry! Return and report this! O great God of the Underworld, I am willing to exchange my flesh, my soul, and everything I possess for your greatest power! Come, monsters! Let us perish together! Taboo—Bestowment of the King of Hell!”
I was shocked when I heard this incantation. It had already surpassed the limits of ordinary dark magic.
The Heavenly Demon Art did contain certain chants invoking the King of Hell, but those spells were classified as forbidden. I never expected to see a Fallen Angel actually perform one.
The Fallen Angel’s body began to change.
His wings turned gray, and his eyes shifted from black to white. His body rapidly swelled.
But at that moment the meteor was already descending toward his head.
“Careful!” I roared.
Turning into a streak of crimson light, I rushed forward and positioned myself between Panzong and the Fallen Angel.
Before the meteor could crush him, the Fallen Angel detonated a violent explosion from within his own body.
Strangely, there was no spray of flesh.
Instead, a circle of gray energy spread outward, instantly devouring the earth-element meteor spell.
I clenched my teeth and transformed into a crimson dragon, meeting the cloud of gray energy with Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon.
The Wolf God was farther away and could only support me with magic. Panzong roared angrily and surrounded me with layer after layer of magical defenses.
At last, the gray energy collided with me.
I did not feel a violent impact. Instead, I felt myself weakening.
Something was corroding me.
The attack power of Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon quietly dissolved. Pain tore through my body as I spat several mouthfuls of blood, and Panzong’s magical defenses vanished layer after layer.
The gray energy passed through my body as if draining away all my strength.
My Berserk Transformation vanished instantly.
The breath of death surrounded me.
Suddenly the turquoise gem in my pocket became burning hot. A thick green light enveloped my body. When the green light burst outward, the gray energy weakened greatly.
But I heard a cracking sound.
The turquoise gem shattered in order to protect me.
With a blood-curdling cry, I lost consciousness and fell from the sky.
Because of my resistance, the gray energy was already weakening. By the time it reached Panzong it had thinned to a faint layer and was completely neutralized by his magic.
Panzong swung his massive tail and caught me as I fell.
The gray energy continued to expand. Trees, bushes, rocks—everything rising from the ground—vanished silently wherever the gray shadow passed.
All of this happened in an instant.
But because the Wolf God, Panzong, Mink, and I had formed a defensive line against it, we did not suffer any lasting harm from the spell.
The Fallen Angel who sacrificed himself had never imagined that his sacrifice would prove meaningless.
When he hurled his companion away earlier, the other Fallen Angel shouted in alarm, “No!”
That moment of hesitation sealed his fate.
It was already too late to escape. Like the surrounding rocks and plants, he vanished beneath the gray energy.
Within a radius of three hundred meters, everything except the narrow strip I had defended—barely one meter wide—had been flattened into lifeless wasteland.
There was no trace of life.
Panzong returned to his humanoid form. Holding my pale body in his arms, he stared blankly, unable to speak.
Jin asked, “How is Lei Xiang’s condition?”
Panzong’s body trembled slightly. His mind seemed blank.
“He’s still breathing,” he said. “He’s just severely wounded. That power was too terrifying. If Lei Xiang hadn’t resisted it, I’m afraid I…”
Thinking about it made him shiver. His heart was filled with lingering fear.
His judgment was accurate. Even with his toughness and strength, he would not have been able to withstand that terrifying power. After all, that power did not belong to this world.
At the final moment, if I had not resisted with everything I had—my Berserk Transformation, my Fallen Angel transformation, countless defensive barriers, and the life force released by the turquoise gem—even I might not have been able to stop its destruction.
Yin sighed softly.
“Lei Xiang is a righteous and passionate person. Today he wronged you, so consider this his apology. Hurry. Let’s bring him into the cave and treat his injuries.”
Panzong carried me into the cave.
“I never blamed him,” he said quietly. “Anyone would lose their reason after witnessing such a scene. He handled it very well.”
Underworld
The King of the Underworld, Hades, sat upright upon his throne wearing a loose gray robe. His handsome and imposing face showed a faint smile of satisfaction.
A ring of white symbols surrounded him, constantly revolving. The gray, sparkling crown on his head released small streams of gray energy, and the surrounding white symbols gradually dissolved and sank into his powerful body.
“Remarkable. I never expected someone from that world to seek my power with such sincerity. He was truly willing to abandon both flesh and soul. Very well. The energy dedicated to me feels quite pleasant. Thanks to him, I was even able to glimpse that world.”
He paused before continuing.
“Lucifer, the one who sought my power carried your presence within him. It seems you have quite a number of believers in that world.”
The Demon God Lucifer—whose power was second only to the King of the Underworld—beat his six wings lightly and floated forward until he stood before Hades, bowing respectfully.
“All who believe in darkness and death are your most faithful followers.”
Yet inwardly he cursed the Fallen Angel whose sacrifice had strengthened Hades with additional energy. His dream of eventually seizing control of the Underworld had just become even more distant.
Hades seemed pleased and paid little attention to Lucifer’s expression.
“You spoke well. But that devotee was not what interested me. It was his opponent who surprised me.”
Lucifer looked stunned.
“What kind of being could possibly surprise my lord?”
Hades frowned slightly. A trace of puzzlement appeared on his otherwise calm face.
“Would you believe it? The opponent of that believer survived his final attack.”
Lucifer exclaimed, “What? How could anyone in that world survive even one ten-thousandth of your power? Even resisting such a small fraction would already be astonishing.”
Hades nodded slowly.
“Yes, I was equally surprised. The human who bore the brunt of the attack possessed an extremely powerful life force. At the same time, his body contained both your energy and that of Diamandis. Most strange. Very few beings can endure even the smallest fragment of my power.”
Lucifer’s expression darkened.
“Diamandis… could you be in that world?” he murmured quietly. “You have no idea how much I miss you.”
A flash of gray light appeared, and Hades suddenly stood before him.
“If I were you, I would not hold too much hope,” he said calmly. “That day Diamandis was defeated by three Seraphim. There is no possibility that he survived. You know this better than I do.”
He continued,
“We have already signed an armistice with the God Race. We cannot enter that world. We cannot begin a war simply because of your personal desires. Our preparations are not yet complete.”
His voice hardened slightly.
“You would do better to focus on your cultivation instead of wasting time searching.”
Lucifer bowed and said, “Yes, my lord.”
He had indeed agreed, but was Lucifer truly someone who kept his word? After all, he was the one who had betrayed the God Realm and fled to the Underworld.
Raphael, one of the five Seraphim, possessed a beauty so perfect that words could hardly describe it. Three pairs of snow-white feathered wings spread behind him as he hovered respectfully in the center of the God Temple.
“Lord Divine King, a moment ago I suddenly sensed the energy of the Underworld invading that world. I wondered whether it might be a sign of an Underworld invasion, so I came immediately to report this to you.”
A gentle voice came from within the innermost white barrier of the God Temple.
“You worry too much. I also sensed the presence of Hades, but that was only because he lent a small portion of his power to that world. There is no need to worry.”
Raphael hesitated.
“Although we have remained on peaceful terms with the Underworld for many years, I still have a bad feeling about this.”
The gentle voice spoke again.
“I will take note of it. In eight years, the once-in-three-thousand-years contest between the younger generations of the two realms will be held again. Prepare well and keep watch on the opponent’s movements. Meanwhile, inform Bailie to watch our little princess closely. There must be no mistakes. My lovely daughter is our hope for defeating the Underworld.”
“Yes, my lord. May I take my leave?”
“You may.”
The Supreme God watched Raphael depart and murmured softly to himself.
“Who will the Demon Realm send as their participant? Hades himself has no sons… Oh daughter, you must not disappoint me.”
I gradually awoke from my coma. My entire body felt limp and weak, and I had no strength at all.
Panzong’s excited voice reached my ears.
“Ah! Lei Xiang, you’ve finally awakened!”
I opened my eyes and saw Panzong’s nine heads gathered beside me, staring at me attentively.
The Wolf God and Mink rushed over as well.
Jin asked anxiously, “Lei Xiang, how are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort?”
I understood he was asking about internal injuries. I focused and examined my body.
Dark magic had gathered at my Yintang point. Although my energy was somewhat depleted, it remained active. However, the Mad God chi was extremely weak. I could only sense a faint trace of it in my dantian.
Still, with my cultivation, I believed it would not take long to recover.
I shook my head.
“Don’t worry. I’m not dying yet. I’ll recover completely after some time.”
Panzong said emotionally, “Lei Xiang, thank you…”
I raised my hand weakly to stop him.
“We are brothers. There’s no need to say anything. This is what I should do. If it were you, I believe you would have done the same, right?”
Panzong nodded seriously.
“The moment you defended against that attack for me, I knew I had gained another truly sincere brother. From today onward, I, Panzong, will treat you as my closest brother. No matter what difficulties we face, we brothers will overcome them together.”
I nodded with satisfaction.
“Yes. No difficulty can stop us.”
My eyes grew colder.
“My brothers… I have finally avenged them for the most part. Mo Yue, just wait. I will make you repay everything you owe me twice over.”
Jin suddenly said, “How about we become sworn brothers? Since we already treat each other as brothers, wouldn’t it be better to make it official?”
Panzong immediately agreed.
“That’s a good idea. From today onward, the three of us will be brothers, sharing fortune and hardship alike.”
Yin pouted.
“What three brothers? What about me?”
Panzong hurriedly smiled.
“Of course not. How could we leave you out? Then the four of us will be sworn brothers and sisters.”
I shook my head.
“No. It should be five brothers and sisters. Mink is included too.”
Mink immediately opened his mouth wide.
“I… How could I? Young Master, I’m your escort.”
I smiled.
“But you are also my brother. You were the only one who survived among so many of them. And I promised Wo Fu that I would take good care of you. It’s settled. Does anyone object?”
Jin said, “Of course not. Let’s begin.”
Mink looked around in surprise.
“Right here?”
Jin nodded.
“Of course. We don’t need any ceremony. Sincerity and heart are enough.”
Panzong was the first to kneel.
“I, Panzong.”
The Wolf God followed.
“I, Jin.”
“I, Yin.”
Under my encouraging gaze, Mink knelt as well.
“I… I, Mink.”
Lying there, I smiled faintly.
“I, Lei Xiang.”
Together we said,
“Under the witness of all things in this world, we swear to become brothers and sisters. From this day forward we will care for one another, share blessings together, and endure hardships together. If any of us break this oath, may we be cursed by heaven and struck dead by five thunders.”
After the oath, each of us smiled with joy. The sorrow that had weighed on my heart seemed to fade.
“Now that we are sworn siblings,” I said, “who is the oldest and who is the youngest?”
Panzong lifted his head proudly.
“I’m definitely the eldest. I’m one hundred and twelve years old.”
Even though Mink had already guessed the identities of Panzong and the Wolf God, he was still shocked by Panzong’s age and nearly lost his balance.
The Wolf God raised their heads proudly as well.
“We are ninety-seven years old. What’s so special about one hundred and twelve? That’s just eating a few more years of rice.”
Mink muttered softly, “I’m twenty-one… Anyone who hears your ages will think you’re monsters…”
Panzong and the Wolf God glared at him simultaneously.
Mink shivered and quickly fell silent.
I shook my head.
“I’m eighteen this year.”
Panzong burst into laughter.
“Then it’s settled! I’m the eldest brother!”
Jin and Yin whispered to each other, “What’s so impressive about that? In some places ‘boss’ means a pimp.”
Hearing that, Panzong became furious and prepared to charge at them. I quickly stopped him.
“Enough. Stop fooling around. Mink will be fourth, and I’ll be the youngest. Jin and Yin, how will the two of you rank yourselves? Second brother and third sister? Or second sister and third brother?”
The two stared at each other blankly.
They had been born at the same time. How could they decide who was older?
Jin spoke first.
“Of course I’m the second brother. I must have come out before her.”
Yin snorted.
“Nonsense. Did you see it when you were born? Did our parents tell you? I’m obviously the older one. I’m the second sister.”
The two of them began arguing fiercely.
I rubbed my forehead.
“Enough. Stop arguing. I have an idea.”
They both asked at the same time, “What idea?”
I said, “Yin, you’re going to marry Jin sooner or later. That means you’ll be my sister-in-law. In that case, let’s call Jin second brother and you second sister.”
Yin snorted.
“Marry him? Hmph! But your idea isn’t bad. Let’s do it that way.”
Jin grinned.
“You say you don’t want to marry me? Do you think you can escape?”
“You—!”
“That’s enough,” I interrupted. “It’s settled. Panzong is the eldest brother. You two are second brother and second sister. Mink is the third brother, and I’m the youngest.”
Panzong laughed loudly.
“Good. Now you two little ones, come massage your eldest brother.”
Jin and Yin bared their fangs as they walked toward him.
“Fine. We’ll massage you.”
Seeing their fierce expressions, Panzong quickly backed away.
“No need. No need. These old bones of mine still want to live a few more years.”
My expression suddenly turned serious.
“Stop joking. We need to leave this place quickly and head to the Beastmen Imperial City.”
Jin asked, “Why?”
A cold light flashed in my eyes.
“Have you thought about why the Demon Race sent people to kill my brothers?”
Jin thought for a moment.
“I think it must have something to do with you establishing the Beast God Religion.”