Chapter 119: Demon Emperor Poxun

The vast sea stretched out under a clear, cloudless sky. The rolling waves of the deep blue ocean shimmered like an endless, magnificent ribbon of sapphire. A gentle sea breeze brushed against the face, refreshing and invigorating, as if every pore in the body had opened up to breathe.

The Endless Sea was truly boundless, a realm where, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but the rhythmic surging of azure waters meeting the cobalt sky. A flock of Green-Blood Demon Bats soared through the heavens, speeding eastward.

Two months had passed. Throughout this journey, Shi Yan, perched upon the back of a Demon Bat, had finally grasped the sheer, terrifying scale of the Endless Sea. Apart from the occasional sight of a distant, slow-moving merchant ship, he had barely seen a single island.

Xiao Hanyi, the Shura King, was truly a cultivation fanatic. Aside from an initial briefing on the perils of these waters, he spent every waking moment in deep meditation. The Endless Sea was shrouded in mystery; Shi Yan had witnessed how calm waters could, without warning, erupt into monstrous storms capable of shaking the very heavens. In certain regions, massive whirlpools descended into the abyss, and from within them, chilling roars would echo, hinting at the ferocious creatures lurking in the deep.

According to Xiao Hanyi, even on the backs of these Demon Bats, it would take at least half a year to reach the Galo Sea area where the Yang family resided. They had already traveled tens of thousands of miles in just two months—a distance greater than the combined breadth of the Merchant Union, the Divine Grace Empire, and the Heaven-Meteor Empire.

Xia Xinyan and her two hulking, tower-like bodyguards rode another Demon Bat. They were silent throughout the journey, their gazes cold. Ever since the incident where Shi Yan had intruded upon the bride’s chamber at the Ling family estate, Xia Xinyan had treated him with nothing but disdain, ignoring him completely. Shi Yan, not one to explain himself or seek out rejection, simply followed Xiao Hanyi’s example, spending his time exploring the nuances of channeling essence in the Hundred Tribulations Realm.

Though only one rank separated the Hundred Tribulations Realm from the third heaven of the Human Realm, the difference was like a chasm. In the Hundred Tribulations Realm, one developed mental power—an energy that could not be seen or touched, yet could be clearly sensed. This mental power was incredibly versatile: it could reach out to detect the life fluctuations of others, or be infused into martial techniques and weapons, imbuing them with a "spirit" that locked onto an opponent’s intent. Furthermore, when used for internal introspection, it acted like an extra eye within the body, revealing the minute changes in muscles, bones, internal organs, and even the subtle pathways of the brain.

Shi Yan found this process addictive, constantly delving into the intricacies of mental manipulation. Xiao Hanyi would occasionally wake to offer brief guidance, though he rarely provided detailed instructions, insisting that only through personal realization could one truly master such techniques. Shi Yan sensed Xiao Hanyi’s good intentions, so he rarely asked questions unless absolutely necessary, finding that his own independent experimentation led to many ingenious breakthroughs.

Then, one day, the clear sky suddenly darkened. Thick, ink-like clouds blotted out the sun, hanging heavy and oppressive. The atmosphere grew stifling, and even the Green-Blood Demon Bats became restless, letting out sharp, agitated screeches.

The Demon Bat carrying Xia Xinyan drifted closer. She wore a veil, but her clear eyes radiated an elegant, noble composure. She remained silent, looking only at Xiao Hanyi, ignoring Shi Yan entirely.

Soon, Xiao Hanyi awakened from his meditation. He looked up at the rapidly changing sky with a grim expression. "This doesn't look like a natural occurrence," he said, his voice heavy. "For some reason, I have a premonition of impending disaster."

"Uncle Xiao, with your cultivation at the second heaven of the Heaven Realm and your formidable spiritual sense, even if you haven’t reached the Divine Realm, your intuition cannot be wrong," Xia Xinyan said, her hair dancing in the sea breeze. She stood up gracefully on the back of the beast, gazing at the firmament. "My Reincarnation Martial Soul is sensitive to spatial energy. I can faintly perceive the space in this area beginning to fracture."

Xiao Hanyi’s face paled. "Space fracturing?"

"Yes," Xia Xinyan replied, her expression solemn. "Uncle Xiao, though my realm is lower than yours, my Reincarnation Martial Soul is certain of this. If space is truly splitting, then... then a great danger is descending!"

Shi Yan felt a jolt of terror. "Space tearing? What kind of power could do that?"

"At least the third heaven of the Heaven Realm!" Xiao Hanyi’s eyes flashed with intensity. "Only those on the verge of entering the Divine Realm can use secret arts to forcibly tear through space. When the Clan Head sent Young Master Hai out of the Fourth Demon Realm, he did the same. He was at the third heaven of the Heaven Realm then, just one step from the Divine Realm, and he had to use the Undying Blood to achieve it."

"Undying Blood?" Shi Yan was stunned.

"Those who possess the Undying Martial Soul can condense Undying Blood. It has many miraculous properties, though even I do not know the full extent of its power. Once you return to the Yang family, the Clan Head will surely explain it to you in detail," Xiao Hanyi explained.

Shi Yan nodded silently.

At that very moment, a massive, crystalline white bone hand emerged from the center of the dark clouds, stretching out like a mountain of bone. It lacked flesh and blood, gleaming like polished crystal as it tore through the sky, its five fingers resembling mountain peaks piercing the clouds. From the bone hand, an ink-black, soul-crushing demonic aura spilled forth, churning through the clouds and suffocating the world below.

"The Bone Incarnation of the Demon Emperor Pozun!"

Xiao Hanyi’s expression turned to horror. He roared, "He has come for me! Xia, take Young Master Yan and flee!"

*Pop! Pop! Pop!*

Before the giant hand even fully descended, the terrifying demonic aura caused the Green-Blood Demon Bats to explode into clouds of gore. Any martial artist below the Nirvana Realm on their backs met the same grisly fate.

The overwhelming demonic energy instantly invaded Shi Yan’s body, surging like a mountain collapsing, intent on shattering him from within. Simultaneously, the starlight in Shi Yan’s heart flared, and the negative energy stored in his acupoints erupted like a broken dam. His Yin Bead began to spin rapidly, forming a vortex that spewed forth a torrent of Yin energy, shielding him in a multicolored glow that clashed violently with the encroaching demonic force.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xia Xinyan activated her Reincarnation Martial Soul, drawing upon the power of past lives from the river of time to instantly ascend to the Heaven Realm.

As the giant hand descended, the Shura King Xiao Hanyi roared with savage intensity. Three massive rivers of blood erupted from his body, surging toward the bone hand. In the center of the swirling dark clouds, a terrifying black hole appeared within the giant hand, unleashing a suction force that threatened to devour everything.

"Xia, take Young Master Yan and go!" Xiao Hanyi bellowed, his eyes bloodshot.

Terrified, Xia Xinyan did not hesitate. She grabbed Shi Yan by the collar and fled into the distance.

The bone hand tore through space, its fingers, strong as forged steel, exerting a crushing pressure. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* The three blood rivers collided with the bone hand but failed to stop its descent. With a flick of its fingers, the giant hand swatted the rivers into oblivion.

*Boom!*

The hand fully descended, its palm exerting a destructive suction that caught everyone remaining near Xiao Hanyi. Even Xiao Hanyi himself could not escape, being tightly ensnared by the giant hand. Seemingly unwilling to linger, the giant hand retracted, pulling Xiao Hanyi and the others back into the black hole within the demonic clouds.

As the bone hand vanished into the void, the black hole erupted with countless beams of demonic light, shooting out like divine weapons in all directions. Some struck the Endless Sea, churning the ocean into a frenzy and piercing deep into the seabed.

Shi Yan watched in stunned silence as the black hole slowly closed, vanishing entirely. With the disappearance of the demonic light, the thick black clouds dissipated, and the sky returned to a bright, clear blue. However, the sea below was now a chaotic nightmare of towering, destructive tornadoes.

Xia Xinyan continued to carry Shi Yan, not daring to look back at the devastation. Shi Yan stared at the churning sea behind them, a profound, chilling sense of his own insignificance washing over him.