I saw the horned demon pounce.
Litian and Zhang Yuhe both knew that they had now reached the most critical moment. But neither of them had any intention of backing down.
Zhang Yuhe continued to pull the thunder lightning attack. At the same time, he controlled the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation, narrowing its range to make the invisible sword qi denser and more lethal.
The Horned Demon rushed forward quickly, and the dense invisible sword qi continued to cut through his body. But he still didn't care. He swore not to give up until Zhang Yuhe and the others were dead.
Suddenly, Litian stood firm and swung his fist at the approaching Horned Demon.
Even though the Horned Demon was severely injured, Litian was not afraid. He knew that despite the demon's ferocity, it was already at the end of its strength.
The Horned Demon was missing a right arm and had countless bloodstains, some deep enough to reveal bone. Thunder and lightning slashed at him, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
No matter how strong the Horned Demon was, he would not be able to withstand such injuries for much longer. As long as Litian could hold him back for just a moment, the two formations controlled by Zhang Yuhe would have every chance to reduce the demon to ashes.
Rumble...
The two massive fist shadows collided, releasing a scorching light. The force of the impact spread beyond Mirror Sky City, and demons who had just emerged from the passage near the altar were instantly crushed to ashes.
Litian spat blood and flew backward, while the Horned Demon stood his ground. It was clear from the violent collision that the Horned Demon had the upper hand. Despite his injuries, as a Void Refining Realm demon, his power was still overwhelming.
However, the effect of Litian's attack was still significant, as it had interrupted the Horned Demon's momentum.
Taking advantage of this, Zhang Yuhe retrieved a piece of rune paper and waved it toward the demon with two fingers.
"Go."
The rune paper ignited instantly and disappeared. Around the Horned Demon, countless tendrils rose from the ground, trapping him firmly.
It was a sixth-order rune paper: the Otogi Trapping Prison Talisman.
This type of rune paper had a single effect: to temporarily limit the target's movements.
As the Horned Demon struggled against the binding tendrils, Zhang Yuhe swiftly pinched the magic trick, causing the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation to compress further. The entire sword array now covered a radius of only ten zhang around the Horned Demon.
The dense, formless sword qi surged like a furious ocean, sweeping toward the trapped demon.
"Ah..."
The Horned Demon tried to swing his fist and destroy the tendrils, but they clung to him tightly. He swung his fist again and struck the sword formation surrounding him.
Rumble...
The black fist shadow slammed into the light curtain of the sword array, causing a violent tremor. After a brief moment, the formation returned to normal.
Despite his strength, the Horned Demon couldn't break through the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuhe's tense nerves finally relaxed. He stared at the Horned Demon, now fully encased in the sword array, and spoke with fierce satisfaction.
"You're dead."
The Horned Demon was severely injured and no longer had the strength he once possessed. His futile attempts to break the formation only hastened his demise.
Zhang Yuhe continued to pinch the spell, making the sword shadows more concentrated, as massive invisible sword qi sliced through the Horned Demon's body.
Despite his stubbornness, the Horned Demon was dying. He refused to go down without a fight.
Swinging his fists, the Horned Demon repeatedly struck the light curtain of the sword array. But no matter how hard he struggled, the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation remained unmoved.
As the injuries mounted, the Horned Demon's fists grew weaker and weaker.
"Ah..."
Suddenly, a dense wave of invisible sword qi pierced the Horned Demon's tough body. He let out one last scream before being reduced to ashes by the relentless assault.
Only a pair of peculiar long black horns remained.
Seeing the Horned Demon die, Zhang Yuhe exhaled deeply. It had been a close call.
He never expected that, in Mirror Sky City, he would face a Horned Demon from the Void Refining Realm. Initially, he had assumed that the highest cultivation on the opposing side would be someone like Concubine Mingyue from Hyacinth Tower. Instead, the demon on the altar turned out to be a powerful boss.
It had almost cost him everything.
He couldn't help but blame Lu Mingfang for being unreliable. Despite Zhang Yuhe's honest report on the situation, Lu Mingfang had failed to arrange for stronger support. While Litian was strong, he was no match for a Horned Demon of this caliber. Zhang Yuhe, lacking experience in dealing with such powerful opponents, didn't know what hidden forces the enemy might have. The Dao Holy Sect, however, was likely familiar with such threats.
The lack of reliable backup had almost led to disaster.
Fortunately, the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation had proven its worth, or Zhang Yuhe and Litian might have been doomed.
Zhang Yuhe stretched out his hand, retrieving the two long horns from the ground. Though he didn't know their exact use, it was clear that they were valuable.
The Horned Demon had turned to ashes, but the horns were unharmed. The hardness of these horns was unlike that of ordinary materials. They would likely be useful for future refinement.
After putting the horns away, Zhang Yuhe pinched the magic technique again, and the nine flying swords quickly flew toward the perimeter of Mirror Sky City.
The Horned Demon was dead, but the passage was still open. Large numbers of demons continued to pour in from the passage.
The flying swords descended, and the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation rose once more, unleashing boundless sword qi that quickly swept across Mirror Sky City.
The sword qi sliced through the demons that had just entered, cutting them down with ease. The highest cultivation level among these demons was only the Yuan Infant Realm, far weaker than the Horned Demon.
A single wave of invisible sword qi was enough to eliminate a large number of them.
But these demons were strange. Even as they were slaughtered, more kept pouring in from the passage.
It was as though the demons were like an endless tide, uncaring and eager to die.
"The demons are truly terrifying," Zhang Yuhe muttered.
Witnessing these demons' relentless march toward their deaths made him shudder. What kind of creatures were they, to have an entire race that feared nothing?
After a while, Litian, dragging his weakened body, returned.
Zhang Yuhe asked with concern, "Senior Brother, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Litian replied weakly, no longer the proud figure he had been.
He glanced around but saw no sign of the Horned Demon. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Senior Brother Zhang, is the Horned Demon dead?"
"Yes, he can't come back," Zhang Yuhe answered with a smile, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
How could he not be happy? This was the first time he had truly fought, and he had killed a demon from the Void Refining Realm. To defeat an enemy from such a higher realm in his first battle was an achievement he would certainly cherish.