Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2429 Chapter 1101: Heavenly Demon (2)

Sword aura fragments, innumerable as falling rain, converged around Patriarch Dugu within the Sword Tomb.

"Return to the grave!"

Patriarch Dugu's voice, a mere whisper, commanded.

Remnants of sword intent, countless in number, surged from the earth toward the heavens like an inverted torrent, assaulting the colossal, faceless Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon let out a roar, transforming into endless Demonic Qi. It then manifested a hundred human faces, each chanting an arcane incantation. These faces manipulated the Demonic Qi, weaving it into a Heavenly Demon Skill directed at Patriarch Dugu's sword, a manifestation of his Divine Thought.

In a swift moment, the Demonic Qi descended upon the city, vast and dark as storm clouds poised to engulf all existence.

Yet, Patriarch Dugu's sword aura ascended like a tempestuous rain, reaching for the sky.

Demonic Qi and sword aura became one, a breathtaking spectacle that left Mo Hua in silent awe.

While the Heavenly Demon exuded an aura of immense power, it was evident that Patriarch Dugu's Divine Thought Sword Skill possessed a far greater lethality.

With each slash of the Divine Thought sword and the resonating power of countless fragments, the Demonic Qi diminished. The myriad Demon faces were pierced by the sword intent, dissolving into the void.

Ultimately, the colossal Hundred-faced Heavenly Demon on the horizon was reduced to mere black smoke, vanquished by Patriarch Dugu's solitary might.

Patriarch Dugu coughed, a mouthful of blood escaping his lips.

Mo Hua's shock was profound.

This "Hundred-faced Heavenly Demon" was, in his experience, second only to the Evil God in sheer power.

While perhaps not matching the Evil God's true form in "natural" might, it was only negligibly inferior.

However, its inherent grade was clearly much higher – a potent malevolent entity capable of reaching the fourth-grade Feather Transformation Realm.

And yet, this fourth-grade "Hundred-faced Heavenly Demon," akin to a "half-step Evil God," had been decisively slain by Patriarch Dugu's sword, a product of his Divine Thought…

Patriarch Dugu was a Cultivator, a mortal in the truest sense of the word.

His Divine Thought had never merged with the Dao, his victory over the Heavenly Demon relying solely on the fortitude of his mind, the might of his sword aura, and his supreme mastery of the Sword Dao.

Furthermore, observing the surrounding traces, it was clear this was not an isolated incident.

For years, he had stood solitary and unwavering, tirelessly guarding the Sword Tomb, persistently repelling and slaying these extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, never yielding.

The ordeal must have been incredibly taxing.

Patriarch Dugu's physical form was depleted, far from its prime, yet his presence, like a candle flame flickering against the wind, retained an edge as keen as an unsheathed divine sword.

The unwavering resolve of his Taoist Heart and the sheer tenacity of his will inspired awe and deep respect in Mo Hua, who was treading the path of Divine Sense Proving the Dao.

The chasm between human wills is indeed as vast as the divide between heaven and earth.

Some possess wills so feeble, they are not even worth a blade of grass.

Others command willpower strong enough to challenge deities themselves.

With the Hundred-faced Heavenly Demon slain by Patriarch Dugu, the Demonic Qi and Evil Qi receded. The tear in the sky began to mend, and all perceived danger started to dissipate.

Patriarch Dugu retracted his sword aura, his fatigue becoming apparent, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

He drew a deep breath, then froze, turning to find Mo Hua.

Patriarch Dugu's expression flickered with bewilderment, then his pupils contracted as he questioned,

"Why are you here?"

Mo Hua, equally taken aback, replied, "The spatial rift opened, so I entered..." He then softly inquired, "Didn't you bring me here?"

Patriarch Dugu's countenance shifted dramatically. "I… that's impossible, I..."

But in the very next moment, his features dissolved, replaced by black Evil Qi that sketched an eerie human visage, grinning sinisterly.

"It was I who brought you here..."

Before the words fully formed, Patriarch Dugu raised a large hand to his face, as if wiping away ink, dispelling the Heavenly Demon's visage and restoring his own features.

His face was now etched with terror.

"Damn it, it's a trap!"

Patriarch Dugu's complexion turned ashen. Gazing at Mo Hua, he urged, "Quick! I will send you away. Never return."

However, as he reached out to tear open the void, his face was once again obscured by a shroud of black Qi.

Patriarch Dugu reverted to his faceless state, uttering a cold sneer.

"Want to leave? You..."

Transforming his finger into a sword, he pressed it against his own forehead, employing a wisp of Tai Xu Sword Intent to momentarily seal his own Demon Thought.

Yet, scarcely had he attempted to reopen the rift when the sky's recently sealed opening abruptly tore open anew, revealing two colossal white skulls.

Numerous grim human visages materialized upon these skulls.

Two Hundred-faced Heavenly Demons!

Furthermore, some Heavenly Demons, possessing ten faces, or even dozens, erupted from the rift, descending rapidly towards the earth below.

However, their true target was not Patriarch Dugu.

It was Mo Hua.

In that precise moment, Patriarch Dugu comprehended the entire scheme.

It had all been an elaborate trap orchestrated by the Heavenly Demons!

Through years of battling and thwarting Heavenly Demons, he had inadvertently become stained by their influence, even beginning to merge with them.

And the Heavenly Demons had cunningly perceived his inner turmoil.

They had exploited his desire to pass on the Divine Thought transformed sword, luring him into instructing Mo Hua in the sword technique.

Then, capitalizing on this vulnerability, they had plotted to seize his Primordial Spirit, and during the very act of sword transmission, they had surreptitiously planted the seed for Mo Hua's transformation into a "Heavenly Demon" within him.

Now, that "seed" had finally matured.

Or perhaps, with Mo Hua on the verge of departing the Taixu Gate and the Qian Learning State Boundary, these Heavenly Demons could no longer wait. They felt compelled to draw Mo Hua here, to forcefully possess his physical form, thereby transforming him into a "Heavenly Demon Fetus."

Upon successful transformation, Mo Hua would manifest as a flesh-and-blood Heavenly Demon walking among mortals.

Utilizing him as their vanguard, the Heavenly Demons intended to propagate the Supreme Heavenly Demon Slash Love Path throughout the entire world.

At that grim juncture, by eradicating human affections and natural sentiments through the Heartless Path, they aimed to cultivate widespread indifference and extinguish all conscience, ultimately turning humanity into mere puppets for the Heavenly Demons.

By feeding on the myriad facets of human hearts, they would then be able to birth even more formidable Hundred-faced Heavenly Demons, Thousand-faced Heavenly Demons... and ultimately, an unparalleled Innate Great Demon.