“Thou Cheng, we must return.”

He Lian Yunyun, hailing from the prestigious City of U Meng within the Mu Country, spoke with grave urgency. “General He Lian has already been retrieved. His injuries are dire and cannot endure delay. He must be sent back immediately, and I shall accompany him myself.”

He Lian Xiaohu’s journey to the demon realm for trial was undertaken as an escort for He Lian Yunyun. When faced with the Heavenly Demon Lion An Xuan, he had bravely stepped forth and fought with desperate courage. By both sentiment and reason, He Lian Yunyun was bound to see him safely returned.

Meanwhile, within the Frost Wind Valley, he had found himself battling shoulder-to-shoulder with Chun Yu Gui.

This time, his hand still clasped his sword, held with a steadiness born not of external influence but of seasoned battlefield instinct. The fighting stance, maintained in every moment, was the greatest reverence paid to life and death. The surrounding cheers did not stir him unduly, for he could not truly hear them.

He only saw, amidst the weary and excited faces, one visage alight with fanaticism and profound worship.

A youthful face.

The next instant, that face surged forward! An approach so sudden, so electrifying. With strength utterly beyond what his form should possess, he burst into the Frost Wind Valley, bypassing Ji Zhao Nan, and launched a devastating punch!

In that instant of life and death, a great terror descended.

Jiang Wang heard the death knell ringing!

He reacted purely on instinct. His sword flashed horizontally to parry, while his body scattered backward in retreat. Five Mansion Resonance shielded him, the light of the Heaven Mansion gathered before him, and the clear radiance of the Xuan Tian Liuli Gong radiated outwards. He also released the corpse he was carrying, flipped his palm, and struck with the Huo Dou Seal, its dim light attempting to swallow the incoming fist force.

Even in that split second, he summoned the Chao Tian Que in his divine soul world, attempting a counterattack! Every one of these reactions was spurred by the profound danger this strange opponent presented.

Who dares slight death when it looms so near?

But his retreating movement was unable to evade the lock, his horizontal parry was instantly shattered, his Huo Dou Seal exploded, his Xuan Tian Liuli Gong crumbled, and the light of his Heaven Mansion collapsed alongside it! The surrounding flowing flames and the Frost Wind at his back were scattered without exception.

And his Chao Tian Que was fundamentally unable to shake the opponent’s divine soul. This was power on an entirely different plane. He was a peak God-like Realm expert, yet this attacking punch was already infinitely close to the level of Dong Zhen!

The fist bent the sword blade and, dragging it along, brutally impacted his abdomen. His five viscera and six bowels were displaced, his four seas in turmoil! The connection between his five mansions was severed, his Dao Yuan in chaos, and his Qi and blood in fierce conflict. At that moment, he curled his body into a shrimp-like posture as much as possible, striving to distance himself from that fist.

But his entire body was beyond his control, propelled like a shot arrow, accelerating at extreme speed towards the other end of the Frost Wind Valley. His spine and back collided recklessly with the intensely cold wind.

This carved out numerous, instantly frozen wounds! Yet, this intense pain could not save his gradually fading divine soul. His eyes closed involuntarily.

His mind grew hazy. Even the fleeting thoughts of millions of births and deaths in an instant sank into silence. His divine soul was almost immediately frozen solid! Before the crushing punch intent and beneath the extreme frost intent, only a speck of red-gold light still flickered within his four seas. It was like a dying candle, a lone firefly.

Within his Sea of Primordial Spirit, the Hall of Containing Gods was tightly shut. His divine soul manifestation, its eyebrows already frosted, silently solidified upon its divine seat. Only the heart, within his chest, still beat faintly.

A lonely beat. I cannot die. I cannot die, I cannot die!

The voice of his heart, from a whisper, rose to a roar. A myriad of experiences, a host of illusions, flashed past like a revolving lantern. So many people waited for him; he still owed so many favors; he still had so many things left undone.

He still yearned for vengeance; An An was still so small.

Suddenly, his red-gold eyes snapped open! As if piercing through the vast, extreme cold wind, he saw the person who had punched him to this place, and he saw the blazing light of Ji Zhao Nan being sent flying. He felt the biting chill of the Frost Wind intensify, and he sensed that the Frost Wind’s retreat had stopped, likely not to dissipate again.

A pre-meditated enemy, power at the Dong Zhen level, a Frost Wind Valley that had been silent for eleven months, a demon territory fraught with peril, Ji Zhao Nan and his companions effortlessly repelled, the Qi Country powerhouses far in the distance, facing utter deadlock! Before following Ji Zhao Nan into the Frost Wind Valley, he could never have imagined this moment. A single misstep, and life and death were beyond his control.

But though he was helpless in the face of life and death, he would still wage the struggle he could! At this moment, he wrestled forth some spiritual intelligence, and as he flew backward at extreme speed, the Frost Wind surged around his body!

The so-called killing intent of the Heavenly Dao, the Bu Zhou Wind crushing all things. But this Bu Zhou Wind did not blow forward, but backward. A wisp of Bu Zhou Wind, blowing into the intensely cold wind, emitted crackling sounds like firecrackers. The extreme of cold and the extreme of killing intent clashed! Returning to human territory was no longer an option—

Then, he wouldn’t return!

At this moment, he fully unleashed the power of the Bu Zhou Wind. Using the Bu Zhou Wind to break through the intense cold of the Frost Wind Valley was both to reduce the injuries he suffered and to break through obstacles, accelerating his backward flight—his current physical state could no longer endure the extreme cold for long.

So, he needed to be fast! Faster!

He maintained his bent-over posture, gathering his remaining strength. The divine ability light born from his five mansions only barely protected his vital points, allowing that punch force to propel him backward. Allowing that punch force to tear his muscles, destroy his meridians, and obliterate his blood. His entire being was like a seasoned old bow, pulled taut. It seemed on the verge of snapping. And indeed, he was covered in wounds, blood overflowing from the corners of his mouth and ears.

But at this moment, his eyes, their calmness completely faded, held an indescribable ferocity—now, he had to be the fiercest one to survive!

His backward-flying figure instantly swept past the burly stone rhinoceros demon king, leaving a short channel through the white expanse of the extreme cold wind, from one side of the canyon to the other. It looked as if he had forcibly opened it! The moment the sounds of movement reached him, Rhinoceros Yan Soldier immediately unleashed his demon qi, pressing his body against the mountain wall, his elbow positioned horizontally in front, adopting a full battle-ready posture. Yet, he watched in astonishment as Jiang Wang flew past him, speeding towards the demon clan’s territory! What kind of fighting style was this? Directly blocking his path?

Before his uncertainty could clear, before he could clearly see Jiang Wang’s appearance, Jiang Wang’s figure had already whistled past, disappearing from view.

And at this time. Jiang Wang, struck by that punch infinitely close to Dong Zhen from the south face of the Frost Wind Valley to the north face in an instant, had already traversed the Frost Wind Valley and fallen into the wilderness, witnessed by over four hundred demon clan warriors who were doubting their very existence. These demon clan warriors were the brave ones who had fought in the Frost Wind Valley earlier, the ones who had withdrawn at the first sign of the Frost Wind’s return. Naturally, none of them were demon kings.

They had never experienced a human traversing the Frost Wind Valley during the period when the Frost Wind occupied the valley.

And it was only one person.

And not a True Monarch, not even a True Person! And this person appeared so utterly wretched, covered in wounds, as if pulled from a pool of blood. But they completely recognized this person—he was the human powerhouse who had continuously slain several of their demon kings. They could also discern—within this person’s muscles, within his blood, actually burned wisps of leaping red fire. It was like an innate divine spirit!

Could it be that several demon kings had already fallen in battle, and this human powerhouse intended to annihilate them all?

One demon clan member was instantly scared out of their wits, shouting for reinforcements, completely unable to find the direction of South Heaven City, scattering and fleeing in panicked disarray. Instantly, over a dozen demon clan warriors scattered and fled.

But among the remaining demon clan warriors, several demon commanders still stood out, shouting for the warriors to rally and form a formation, to fight to the death with the human powerhouse. Demon clan military law was strict, and demon clan warriors were not lacking in courage. Their formation actually held steady for a time, not at all collapsing due to those few fleeing demon clan members.

But their reaction was swift, and Jiang Wang’s reaction was swifter! The process of flying backward at extreme speed was also the process of unloading force. He flew backward out of the Frost Wind Valley, all the while battling against that punch force. But that terrifying punch force still broke through his defenses, shattered his body, leaving him without a single intact muscle.

Under the extreme cold wind, he should have already died completely if he hadn’t borrowed force to escape the Frost Wind Valley. Of course, it was still uncertain whether he would survive now.

The tiny flames burning point by point on his body, like bean flames, were the San Mei True Fire working to incinerate the cold intent and the punch force. His hands, whose finger bones were visible, could still grip Chang Xiang Si primarily because the bones were held in place.

It was up to this very moment.

Jiang Wang suddenly discovered that within his entire body, inside and out, the divine soul, previously injured in the clash with Shi Shan Wen, was actually in the best condition. The moment he traversed the Frost Wind Valley, his entire body emitted a series of bone-cracking explosions, and he instantly straightened himself. Long-suppressed endurance, long-accumulated power, burst forth like a mountain, like a sea.

That power was the San Mei True Fire, incinerating the punch force speck by speck. It was the majestic Dao Yuan surging like a breached river dike. It was also the light in his eyes at this moment!

His gaze, substantial and weighty, directly smashed down upon a demon commander who was shouting commands, instantly suppressing and killing him! He continued to look and turn, his gaze passing over the demon clan members, none of whom could withstand a single glance! All died!

He had experienced the cruelest warfare. The battlefield he had seen was filled with military geniuses like Li Longchuan and Zhong Xuansheng, military experts like Zhong Xuan and Chu Liang. Finding the battlefield core within a mere four hundred demon clan warriors was truly not a difficult task. His left hand’s five fingers pointed towards the sky, the majestic Dao Yuan surging out from within the Tong Tian Gong, passing through his already destroyed meridians, causing immense pain. Yet, it could not affect his control over the Dao Yuan in the slightest, allowing him to smoothly complete the Dao technique.

That sharp, dazzling golden dragon, the vigorously growing wood dragon, the water-controlling leopard, the fire-driving tiger, the earth-stirring soil raccoon, the high-hanging sun rabbit, the heart-illuminating moon fox—the seven lodging spirits, simulated from the cutting-edge research of the Qi Country Academy, appeared for the first time in the Heavenly Prison. In an instant, they expanded, covering the entire battlefield, directly forming a semicircle on this side of the Frost Wind Valley, enclosing all the demon clan warriors, including those dozen or so deserters.

Then, in the next moment, a domain of fire spread out! Flame meteors streaked across the sky, flame sparrows soared and danced across the heavens, and flame flowers bloomed like a spring of blossoms. He could not allow a single demon clan warrior to escape—when he chose to accelerate and escape towards the demon clan territory, Jiang Wang had already clearly thought about the subsequent developments.

From this point on, he would only take one step at a time and see where it led. But currently, if the demon clan discovered he had entered their territory alive, he would undoubtedly perish. Even if he were a hundred times stronger, it would be useless. Thus, he had to eliminate all the demon clan members who had participated in the Frost Wind Valley battle. At this moment, his entire body was without a single good muscle, and it was already very difficult for him to wield Chang Xiang Si again in a short period. But he still had Dao techniques, he still had his spirit domain, he still had his divine soul.

He was not a killing machine. He was born a person with warmth. But having struggled and waded through this muddy world, he was already skilled in the means of killing. Below the God-like Realm, life and death were granted. Below the Demon King level, how could there be any survivors? In the fiercely burning fire domain, demon clan warriors fell one by one. The seven lodging spirits of the Azure Dragon’s Seven Transformations, like guardian spirits, flew in the outer ring of the fire domain, killing back those demon clan warriors who had painstakingly fought their way out of the fire domain, one by one.

And his red-gold gaze, specifically targeting those demon clan members attempting to organize resistance, reaped a deadly harvest. Regardless of the consumption of his divine soul, one glance guaranteed the death of one demon. This was a one-sided slaughter, one against many. In a state of rapidly weakening strength, Jiang Wang instead displayed extreme coldness, completing the killing in the most efficient way.

Everything happened too quickly!

When the stone rhinoceros demon king cautiously burst out of the Frost Wind Valley, against the extreme cold wind, his eyes saw only the seven lodging spirits hovering over the sea of fire, and within the sea of fire, Jiang Wang bathed in blood, holding his sword aloft. This scene was like a bloody mural carved on a rock wall. Jiang Wang simply clenched his five fingers! The Kang Jin Dragon, the Jiao Mu Jiao, the Ji Shui Bao, the Wei Huo Hu, the Shi Tu Ha, the Fang Ri Tu, the Xin Yue Hu—the seven lodging spirits stirred up a surge of Yuan Qi, instantly attacking Rhinoceros Yan Soldier. Even Jiang Wang himself advanced with his sword raised, his final sword swing was originally meant for Rhinoceros Yan Soldier.

At such a critical juncture, Rhinoceros Yan Soldier gritted his teeth and took a step back, actually returning to the Frost Wind Valley!

The extreme cold wind covering the mountain valley completely separated the two, the white expanse rendering them unclear to each other. At this moment, he threw the difficult problem to Jiang Wang. Because in that instant of exiting the valley, he had already clearly seen Jiang Wang’s appearance, witnessed Jiang Wang’s injuries. He understood that Jiang Wang had not deliberately sought him out, but had encountered some danger and was involuntary. Of course, he had also seen Jiang Wang slaughter the demon clan warriors outside the valley, and that his determination was to fight him to the death.

But where was this?

It was the wilderness north of the Frost Wind Valley, demon clan territory. It was also a forbidden land for the human race! He did not need to fight Jiang Wang to the death at all, because as long as the demon clan from South Heaven City arrived, Jiang Wang would undoubtedly die, and he would certainly survive. Although his natal divine ability was also broken, he believed that if he were similarly inside the Frost Wind Valley, he could endure longer than the injured Jiang Wang.

So, the Frost Wind Valley, which originally represented danger, this time became his fortress. The extreme cold wind became a shield wall, protecting himself in the face of the choice between life and death. He did not fight Jiang Wang with his injured body; instead, he confronted him using the Frost Wind Valley as a boundary, awaiting Jiang Wang’s choice.

If Jiang Wang charged in, then they would see who could endure longer under the cover of the extreme cold wind. They would see if Jiang Wang still had a possibility of escaping back to human territory through the Frost Wind Valley at this time. If Jiang Wang did not dare to charge in, then they would wait and see when the demon clan warriors would arrive. He and Ying Ke. Wen was even more so; Shi Shan Wen’s identity was noble, and South Heaven City would certainly be very concerned. Perhaps the reinforcing warriors were already on their way. He believed he could endure and wait!

And if Jiang Wang chose to escape on the spot, as long as he passed this message back to South Heaven City, he believed many strong individuals would be willing to pursue and kill him. How much value did a living human race heavenly pride possess? His body would undoubtedly hide many human race secrets, which could help the demon clan understand their most powerful opponent. Even setting aside everything else, a skull wine cup inscribed with the name of a human race heavenly pride was a rare luxury in the demon world today! How difficult was it to chase and kill a human race within demon clan territory? Thus, this step back he took was not about courage, but about steady and undeniable victory.

He decisively retreated into the Frost Wind Valley, his imposing body shrinking into a ball, reducing his confrontation with the extreme cold wind as much as possible, while also being ready to attack violently at any moment. The light flames on his body were extinguished, preventing Jiang Wang outside the valley from observing him. He also arranged his Dao Yuan on the surface of his body with a mysterious trajectory, consuming the omnipresent cold intent, allowing himself to endure longer and have more choices.

And Jiang Wang indeed did not pursue him into the Frost Wind Valley; his body could no longer bear it. But he calmly held his sword, standing at the mouth of the valley without a word. Allowing the cold wind from within the Frost Wind Valley to blow, allowing the red flames to leap around his body. The short distance of a few steps had become a natural barrier. The extreme cold wind was a white expanse.

Jiang Wang and Rhinoceros Yan Soldier were each at one end. Both could not see the other’s face, but they both knew that the opponent was watching them. Death treated them equally. It did not care about their identity, race, or power. Death was to take away everything, death was the emptiness of all things. This was a contest of patience and courage, or perhaps also of luck.

Would the demon clan warriors from South Heaven City arrive first, or would Rhinoceros Yan Soldier be the first to succumb to the extreme cold wind? They both needed to question themselves. Rhinoceros Yan Soldier silently curled up in the valley, mobilizing all his power, confronting the extreme cold wind without a sound. Beneath his already frosted eyebrows was a kind of perseverance focused on survival. He absolutely made no movement, absolutely gave Jiang Wang no feedback whatsoever. If Jiang Wang wanted to know what was happening inside, he just needed to walk into the valley himself.

And outside the valley, Jiang Wang calmly did his own things, slowly processing his injuries. Of course, his methods were rough, merely roughly shifting his internal organs back, roughly connecting his bones, roughly stopping the bleeding. Simultaneously, he meticulously incinerated and dissolved all traces of the battle scene with the San Mei True Fire. He exerted his San Mei, incinerating it into formlessness. Although complete lack of traces is also a kind of trace, the possibility of no traces allows for many interpretations. For example, all the demon…