Chapter 114: Issuing the Challenge

The battle in mid-air raged on. The attacks unleashed by Chen Yiyan’s Burning Heavenly Phoenix and the blue monster summoned by Su Zi split the icy world into two distinct realms: one dominated by raging flames, and the other by surging, tumultuous waves.

The two forces remained locked in a stalemate, neither able to secure an immediate victory.

Ye Zihan, who had been watching the aerial combat with bated breath, was startled by a sudden voice from Mo You. He looked down, confused, and asked, "What? Burning Heavenly Phoenix? Blue Nether Rakshasa?"

"Oh, boss, that fire bird is the Burning Heavenly Phoenix, and that ugly monster is the Blue Nether Rakshasa! You don't mean to tell me you don't know these two, do you?" Seeing Ye Zihan’s puzzled expression, Mo You flew directly in front of him, speechless.

"Ah?" Ye Zihan was stunned, blankly staring at the sky, unable to process the information for a long moment.

He had been so worried about Chen Yiyan’s safety that he hadn't noticed the fire phoenix and the monster truly resembled the legendary Burning Heavenly Phoenix and the Blue Nether Rakshasa. Now, prompted by Mo You, Ye Zihan felt a profound sense of shock. Even with his limited knowledge, he knew a thing or two about their reputations.

The three great monster clans of the Phantom God Continent were the Thousand Nether Blood Phantom Dragon clan, the Imperial Phantom Dragon clan, and the Burning Heavenly Phoenix clan. This meant Chen Yiyan was a descendant of one of the three great monster clans!

As for the Blue Nether Rakshasa, its fame was even more resounding. The Demon Realm was isolated by a sea of demons, making it impossible for humans or beast-kin to grasp the situation inside; to them, the entire Demon Realm remained shrouded in mystery.

However, the names of the Four Great Holy Demons of the Demon Realm were known to every practitioner and beast on the Phantom God Continent. A thousand years ago, during the chaos of the Three Realms war, the sudden appearance of the Four Great Holy Demons had swept across the land, leaving no one able to resist them. Eventually, they provoked collective outrage, causing human and beast-kin powerhouses to join forces and besiege them, inflicting heavy injuries. Forced into a humiliating retreat back to the Demon Realm, the Four Great Holy Demons had rarely shown themselves since.

And yet, among these four, the Blue Nether Rakshasa was one of them. The girl, Su Zi, had actually summoned one of the legendary Four Great Holy Demons!

Ye Zihan was truly shaken to his core. Although his state of mind had not yet reached the level of absolute stillness where nothing could ripple his composure, it was at least calm as an ancient well. For him to feel such shock in this state was rare indeed, but what was happening before his eyes was precisely that.

The appearance of one of the Four Great Holy Demons and a descendant of the three ancient monster bloodlines was enough to stun anyone. Even Mo You, who was never one to fear the heavens or the earth, fell into a brief silence. Setting aside the Burning Heavenly Phoenix, the mere mention of the Blue Nether Rakshasa was enough to stand on equal footing with Mo You; the reputation of the Four Great Holy Demons was simply too formidable.

"Boom!"

Finally, a thunderous crash pulled Ye Zihan and the others back to reality.

Ye Zihan, Yan Chen, and Lin Dong all looked up to see a fiery red figure flying backward at high speed, eventually landing not far from them.

The person who had been knocked back was Chen Yiyan. His clothes were torn, his aura was chaotic, and his sturdy body bore several glowing blue wounds, making him look extremely disheveled.

Ye Zihan and the others were alarmed and quickly rushed to his side.

"Are you alright?"

Ye Zihan placed a hand on Chen Yiyan’s shoulder, his internal source energy swiftly infiltrating Chen Yiyan’s body to check for toxins in the wounds. To his relief, there was no poison; these were merely ordinary wounds left by the strange attacks of the Blue Nether Rakshasa and were of no major consequence.

Ye Zihan retrieved several medicinal pills from his spatial scroll and handed them to Chen Yiyan. Meanwhile, he, Yan Chen, and Lin Dong kept a vigilant watch on Su Zi, guarding against any further aggression. However, Su Zi remained in mid-air, making no further moves after repelling Chen Yiyan.

Chen Yiyan did not stand on ceremony, taking the pills and swallowing them to refine their effects. Ordinarily, he would not waste medicine on such minor injuries, but currently, surrounded by danger and facing a powerful foe, he saw no need to act reserved.

Lin Dong, who had been eager to jump into the fray earlier, now stood his ground, watching Su Zi with trepidation. It was a joke to even consider it; the combat power Chen Yiyan had displayed earlier already far surpassed his own, and if he had been defeated by Su Zi, the outcome for Lin Dong would likely be even worse.

"In the name of brotherhood, I challenge you!"

Just then, Ye Zihan shouted loudly. A red light flashed in his hand as the Red Lotus Dagger appeared, his eyes fixed on Su Zi, burning with intense fighting spirit.

Ye Zihan was that kind of person. When faced with a formidable expert, he didn't think of retreating, but of fighting. Only by battling under the hand of a master could one truly walk the path of cultivation. Seeing Su Zi easily defeat Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan one after another, Ye Zihan had to admit she was strong, but that only ignited his desire to fight even more.

His life was destined to defy the heavens. To have the name of defiance without the strength to back it up—what, then, is defiance?

"Giggle, I was waiting for those words. Among all of you, you are the only one who catches my eye!" Su Zi did not seem at all surprised by Ye Zihan’s actions, as if it were entirely within her expectations.

"The feeling is mutual!"

"Boom!"

As soon as Ye Zihan finished speaking, he lunged forward, shooting toward Su Zi like an arrow released from a bow, leaving a deep crater where he had stood.

"Blue Nether Rakshasa, Nine Nether Fork!"

Facing Ye Zihan’s assault, Su Zi dared not be careless. She hurriedly used her intent to manipulate the Blue Nether Rakshasa in front of her, swinging its steel fork toward Ye Zihan. With her keen intuition, she could clearly sense the dangerous aura emanating from him.

"Mo You, come out!"

Ye Zihan moved like a dragon, dodging the steel fork and shouting to the miniature Mo You hidden in his sleeve.

"Roar!"

A deep, resounding dragon roar erupted, shaking the heavens. Recovering its true form, Mo You let out a long cry toward the sky. Its massive body, a full ten feet long, swayed, and its thick dragon tail swept toward the head of the Blue Nether Rakshasa.

The sudden appearance of Mo You caught the Blue Nether Rakshasa off guard. Seeing the massive tail about to strike its head, it immediately raised its scale-covered arms to block the blow, intending to withstand the strike head-on.

"Boom!"

A dull thud echoed upon impact. The Blue Nether Rakshasa was knocked back several steps, each one leaving a deep, strange footprint in the ground.

"Hiss!"

The Blue Nether Rakshasa seemed enraged. Blue light flickered in its eyes as it swung the steel fork, creating a sky full of afterimages as it lashed out at Mo You.

Mo You was not one to be outdone. Its razor-sharp dragon claws danced, weaving a flurry of shadows to meet the attacking Blue Nether Rakshasa. The two became entangled, sparks flying whenever they clashed.

Ye Zihan, meanwhile, felt no concern leaving the Blue Nether Rakshasa to Mo You. He bypassed the monster entirely, charging straight toward the unguarded Su Zi.

As a member of the Thousand Nether Blood Phantom Dragon clan with superior bloodline, if Mo You couldn't even pin down this Blue Nether Rakshasa—which had yet to reach its full potential—then what would become of the reputation of the Thousand Nether Blood Phantom Dragon clan, the terror of the continent?

"Thousand Nether Blood Phantom Dragon, giggle, interesting!" Su Zi watched as the suddenly appeared Mo You held back the Blue Nether Rakshasa, and as Ye Zihan charged at her with his dagger. A smile appeared on her face, but there was no significant emotional fluctuation. She was like an ethereal fairy, untouched by the mundane world, unmoved by anything at all.