However, another wave of pressure soon arrived, opposing Elder Wei's.
"Old man, do you think the Heavenly Demon Sect has no one to stand up to you?"
The North End Demon Lord had also appeared.
Without wasting words, Elder Wei and the North End Demon Lord quickly clashed and vanished from the spot, though the intensity of their battle could still be felt from afar.
The thunderous sounds of their confrontation continuously ravaged the surroundings.
After observing for a moment, Qing Bukuang organized his forces to continue the assault when Elder Wei and the North End Demon Lord returned.
By now, both sides were already heavily injured.
But wasn’t it all too fast?
Yet, it was unwise to question the affairs of such masters.
The North End Demon Lord, panting heavily, said, "That old man on the other side has been weakened by me. Send someone to finish him off."
At this moment, naturally, everyone’s eyes turned to Qing Bukuang.
Qing Bukuang, however, wore a puzzled expression. "Me? Fight Elder Wei? Seriously?"
Elder Wei wasn’t having it. "Who asked you to come? Get someone else."
The North End Demon Lord had no choice but to directly name someone. "Su Luo, you and I will deal with that old man together."
At this point, Lin Xuan quickly approached Elder Wei and conveyed a message to him in a very secretive manner.
"Don’t harm Su Luo! Don’t kill Su Luo!"
Elder Wei glanced at Lin Xuan, wondering if he had misheard.
Lin Xuan nodded firmly.
Though he didn’t understand why, Elder Wei had heard of Lin Xuan’s reputation—one of the most talented disciples of the Seven Stars Sword Sect, known for being steady and reliable.
If he said so, there must be a reason.
In truth, Elder Wei didn’t want to kill Su Luo either, as it would only bring trouble with the North End Demon Lord.
He simply wanted to use this opportunity to remove this unstable element. Di Haoao’s condition had improved, but he was still far from Elder Wei’s expectations.
There was still room for further refinement.
Su Luo, who had been named, was also baffled.
Knowing the relationship between the two, Su Luo realized they were putting on an act, but why had they suddenly started performing? This wasn’t their stage.
And could you not drag me into your performance? My scene is here.
The North End Demon Lord took Su Luo away, and Elder Wei followed.
This left Lin Xuan and the others behind.
The Demon Prince Qing Bukuang, Liao Duci, and Situ Ye were still capable of fighting, while Xu Wuliang had fainted, Cui Baiquan had exhausted himself after unleashing the Raging Fire Lotus, and Shan Gui had been severely injured by Lin Xuan’s sneak attack.
The scales of victory seemed to be tipping in Lin Xuan’s favor.
Qing Bukuang stepped forward, ready to burn some of his life force—just a little, though; any more would be too costly.
......
On the other side, Elder Wei stood weakly in place, looking like an ordinary old man, and the North End Demon Lord was in a similar state.
"Su Luo, go ahead. It’s up to you now. Kill him."
"Alright."
Elder Wei, however, showed no fear. "Come at me! If you can kill me, then do it!"
"Fine, I’ll come."
Well, are you coming or not?
Elder Wei noticed that Su Luo was all talk and no action.
Su Luo, too, had no idea what they were up to, but why should they be the only ones acting? He could play along too.
And so, the three of them stood there in an eerie silence, doing nothing.
Elder Wei suddenly realized that this could still serve their purpose. As long as Su Luo was here, he couldn’t threaten Di Haoao.
But standing around was a bit awkward, so he decided to break the silence.
"Hmph, a brat like you could never harm me."
"Old man, if I were to unleash my full power with the Heavenly Demon’s Inquiry aimed at your eyes, how would you handle it in your current state?"
"Simple. I’d block it with my left hand while thrusting my right hand with the Demon-Slaying Strike. You’d be dead before you knew it."
"Ridiculous. By the time you block me, I’d already have retreated. As for the Demon-Slaying Strike? Our Heavenly Demon’s Black Sand Sword Technique could easily counter it."
The North End Demon Lord remained silent, watching as the two of them discussed martial techniques without actually fighting.
Elder Wei grew more and more enthusiastic, feeling that Su Luo at least had a theoretical grasp of combat and some unique insights.
As the conversation dragged on, the North End Demon Lord grew impatient.
"Su Luo, good job. That old man is almost dead. We’re about to win."
Elder Wei and Su Luo: ......
We haven’t even fought yet. What victory?
But time was indeed running out, and it was time to wrap things up and return for the final curtain call.
"Yes, we’re about to win. So, let’s end this with one final move."
Su Luo drew his sword and slowly approached Elder Wei.
"Come at me! If you can kill me, then do it!"
After going in circles, they were back to the same line.
But this time, Su Luo didn’t respond. There was no time for jokes anymore.
Elder Wei sensed something was off, but he quickly dismissed it. How could someone like Su Luo possibly harm him?
How laughable.
[Your power, I accept it.]
Su Luo swung his sword down.
One-Sword Style: Great Shockwave!
In an instant, Elder Wei realized something was wrong. He tried to dodge, but an invisible pressure, like the sky collapsing, pinned him down.
Elder Wei first fell to his knees, hands on the ground, then spat out blood, his eyes turning white before he finally collapsed.
Su Luo’s sword also shattered.
"North End Demon Lord, he’s done," Su Luo said, turning to the North End Demon Lord.
The North End Demon Lord nodded. Elder Wei had acted well, his expression was on point, but pretending to be dead wasn’t convincing.
If Elder Wei were truly dead, the North End Demon Lord could easily kill Di Haoao and the others.
"Wait," the North End Demon Lord said urgently. "He’s not dead yet, and there are others coming this way. We need to leave."
The North End Demon Lord also spat out blood, feigning severe injury. With others approaching, they couldn’t finish the job and had to retreat quickly.
Su Luo nodded and took the North End Demon Lord back to join Qing Bukuang and the others.
Meanwhile, Qing Bukuang had been fighting for a long time, paying a heavy price to temporarily defeat Lin Xuan.
Long Xinxin was also out of the fight, leaving only Di Haoao standing, though he wasn’t seen as much of a threat.
"You’re all about to die here," Qing Bukuang said, trembling. He had been the main force in the latter half of the battle, and now the other Demon Princes were at their limits.
Qing Bukuang raised his sword again, ready to finish them all.
Di Haoao, who was also in bad shape, panicked as he realized he was the only one left who could fight.
"Di Haoao," Lin Xuan said from where he lay. "You can still become stronger."
"I wish I could, but you’ve seen my strength. I’m not even as good as you."
"Trust me. You’re just carrying too much weight. Sometimes, you need to let go to truly grasp..."
Di Haoao still didn’t believe it.
......Lin Xuan, you’re wrong. I know my own situation better than anyone.
......What you’re saying makes sense. I used to think that way too, but the past is the past, and the present is different.
......I think I’m starting to understand.
......Maybe I’m not so bad after all.
......Lin Xuan, you’re right. I can become stronger.
Under Lin Xuan’s persistent encouragement, Di Haoao finally ignited his inner resolve and, despite his severe injuries, achieved a breakthrough.
He ascended to the Nascent Soul stage.