Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 175 - 171: You Must Be Better Than Me

Chapter 175: Chapter 171: You Must Be Better Than Me

The Demon Saint slowly moved forward, a smile dancing on her lips as she looked at Leize. She said, "Leize, what is your purpose in barging into my Demon Saint Palace?"

"Reporting to Lord Demon Saint, the Demon Race’s children are all awaiting Lord Demon Saint’s sacrifice of the humans to raise the battle standard," Leize bowed deeply as he replied, his eyes betraying a flicker of unease.

*The Demon Saint isn’t gravely wounded?*

*Why does the aura I sense feel so formidable?*

*His heartbeat quickened, his fists unconsciously clenching.*

"I told you, I have my own plans. Why are you in such a hurry?" The Demon Saint smirked coldly. "Leize, could it be that you’re just like those humans outside? Do you see my injury as your chance to betray me?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Leize replied, feeling the oppressive force bearing down on him. He bowed even more deeply, cautiously adding, "Lord Demon Saint, what about the human cultivators?"

"Hm?" The Demon Saint frowned. "Did I permit you to question me?"

"Crack..." Lightning flickered on Leize’s body as his tightly clenched fists began to tremble. Slowly, he raised his head, standing tall and straight, his gaze icy as vertical pupils glinted with frost.

"So, it seems you do harbor treacherous intentions after all," the Demon Saint sneered. "Leize, how dare you?"

"Hundreds of years..." Leize’s eyes sparkled with lightning, thunderous energy rolling off his body. When he spoke, the sound of a dragon’s roar accompanied his words. "For hundreds of years, I’ve endured you. As a Great Demon, with the bloodline of the Thunder God and Dragon Gods, you force me to learn the ways of these lowly humans?"

The Demon Saint fixed her gaze on him, smiling as she spoke, "Finally showing your true colors, are you? Such deep resentment, Leize."

"Of course." From within Leize came the sound of a dragon’s roar, shaking the palace hall. He roared indignantly, "The noble gods of the Dragon Clan, forced to learn from humans—it’s a disgrace! Furthermore, you’ve made all of Yun Meng Swamp live like humans, turning it into this hideous form. Is this still our Demon Race’s original identity?"

From the ruins of the palace came reverberations of laughter, wild and mocking. Countless pairs of eyes lit upon Leize, as though the entire hall was filled with innumerable forms of the Demon Saint. She said, "A proud god of the Dragon Clan? If you had the spine to match your arrogance, you wouldn’t have stooped to endure humiliation until now. Why didn’t you act sooner, instead of groveling for years and only daring to strike now?"

"Leize, you look down on humans, yet do you know that your actions are considered the most contemptible even by human standards?"

Leize’s expression twisted, turning exceptionally grim. Dragon scales sprouted from his arms, then spread to his body, as his hands became menacing claws, ferocious and terrifying.

"You love playing human so much, let me offer you a human phrase."

"You bitch..."

The words that escaped Leize’s lips carried a venom that had clearly been suppressed for a long time, finally unleashed.

The Demon Saint squinted her eyes, staring intently at him.

"Leize, have you considered the consequences?" the Demon Saint asked.

"Consequences? Once I deal with you, I’ll turn you into my demon slave. I’ll make sure to take excellent *’care’* of you, my dear Lord Demon Saint," Leize said, his eyes gleaming with malice.

It had to be said—the Fox Demons were naturally beautiful, but this Demon Saint in particular was an absolute vision among the Demon Race.

"Looks like you’ve been holding this in for a long time," the Demon Saint mocked.

"Obviously..." Leize roared in rage, but then he frowned, sensing something, and his gaze locked onto the Demon Saint.

"You’re stalling for time?"

*He had insulted her so shamelessly, yet the Demon Saint hadn’t erupted in fury or made a move?*

Leize looked up, his eyes scanning what appeared to be illusions of the Demon Fox. "This... is an Illusion Realm."

A thunderous roar escaped him, and terrifying bolts of lightning exploded outward, engulfing the space in a flash. The Illusion Realm instantly shattered, leaving no trace of the Demon Saint before him.

This left Leize incredibly frustrated. He should have guessed it sooner.

*The Demon Saint was a Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox, with a colossal Divine Soul skilled in Illusion Techniques. Yet, his long-standing fear had dulled his instincts, delaying his realization for far too long...*

"Boom..."

The sound of an enraged dragon’s roar echoed as Leize strode forward when a streak of blood-red lightning struck at him—Bailong’s spear.

A roar shook the heavens as Leize’s massive thunder dragon claws collided with the incoming spear. The sheer force sent Bailong’s body recoiling.

Bailong might have been strong, but Leize belonged to the ferocious Demon Dragon lineage—more specifically, the volatile Thunder Dragons. His power matched Bailong’s, and his realm surpassed Bailong’s.

Crash!

The palace collapsed a second time as terrifying lightning pierced through the ruins. Leize’s thunder-lit gaze turned toward the Underground Palace.

As he stepped toward the Underground Palace, a brilliant burst of sword light suddenly erupted from within, splitting the night sky.

Leize let out a guttural roar, his body covered in dragon-scale armor. The sword light slashed down like lightning, striking his demon-dragon body and sending him flying. As he landed, the ground shattered beneath him; his dragon-scale armor was split, revealing a bloody gash.

It was that Sword Cultivator.

Leize let out a low, menacing growl. Above his head appeared the vast image of a thunder dragon, ferocious and terrifying. Across the vast land, streaks of thunder light fell like an apocalyptic storm.

"Lord Leize..."

The eyes of the Demon Race followers behind him were fixated on the scene. Even the Qilin Demon King suspended in mid-air was watching closely—it was finally happening.

"Children of the Demon Race, our Lord Demon Saint has, time and again, forced us to study human ways. Now, she even shelters humans who have killed our people and plans to join forces with them to kill me!"

Leize roared, "She has betrayed the Demon Race and is unworthy to rule Yun Meng Swamp anymore."

Though some among the Demon Race were Leize’s direct underlings, many were not aware of this. Hearing his words, they were profoundly shaken.

The Lord Demon Saint colluded with humans and betrayed Yun Meng Swamp?

Indeed, that sword light was of human origin and had struck at Lord Leize.

At that moment, a group emerged from the ruins on the steps. Leading them was none other than the Old Blind Man from earlier.

The Sword Intent radiating from the Blind Man’s body surged fiercely.

"Do you all see now? This is our Demon Saint—consorting with humans! She intends to offer Yun Meng Swamp to humans and merge our world with theirs," Leize’s booming voice reverberated through the skies of Demon City.

"Qilin, aren’t you coming down?" Leize’s gaze swept upward, his eyes locking onto a fiery glow emerging from the pitch-black sky. Amidst the blaze, the Qilin Demon King’s presence loomed menacingly.

"All of you dare to revolt?"

Suddenly, a powerful voice shook the heavens, as an immense Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox apparition appeared, draping the skies in its cosmic shadow.

"Lord Demon Saint."

The sight of the Demon Saint’s ethereal form stirred an instinctive terror among the demons.

"Qilin, do you intend to rebel as well?"

The Heavenly Fox’s mirage in the sky smirked darkly at the Qilin Demon King.

Amid the blazing inferno, the Qilin Demon King’s fiery eyes flickered with hesitation.

"Lord Demon Saint..." He hesitated further.

"I know you were swayed by Leize’s words, so I will not hold you accountable. Withdraw immediately. I will kill only Leize," the Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox decreed with chilling authority. Her voice turned piercing as she demanded, "Did you all hear me clearly?"

"Don’t be fooled by her! This is illusion magic. She’s already been critically injured by humans and has surrendered to them, betraying Yun Meng Swamp. Open your eyes and see the truth!" Leize roared.

"Leize..."

The Demon Saint looked down, her gaze filled with amusement. "I’ve long known you bore treachery in your heart. That’s why I purposely used Bailong to set this trap, luring you to reveal your true intentions. As for those humans—they’re merely pieces in my game. Do you really think that blind human could injure me?"

"Nonsense!"

Leize bellowed, and lightning rained down from the skies, striking the apparitions. Yet the Heavenly Fox’s images remained elusive—half-real, half-illusory—permeating the skies with enigmatic grace.

"Blind Man, kill this traitor for me." The Demon Saint spoke languidly. "I’ll bestow great rewards."

"Yes, Lord Demon Saint."

The Old Blind Man responded with a bow. High above, the Demon Saint’s laughter rang out coquettishly.

"Blind Man, you’re quite amusing," her voice echoed in his mind.

The Old Blind Man, however, ignored her.

*In such a short span of time, while he’d managed to recover his Primordial Energy, killing Leize was far from an easy feat. He could only unleash a limited number of strikes, relying on the Demon Saint to suppress the demon forces and prevent a full-scale demon uprising.*

*This Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox was astoundingly cunning. With just a few words, she’d subdued the demons, their centuries-old reverence for her leaving them hesitant to act. Only Leize defied her.*

With a determined step forward, the Old Blind Man unleashed a storm of Sword Aura, an overwhelming tempest sweeping across the battlefield.

A deafening dragon’s roar exploded across the heavens. A massive demon dragon coiled into the sky, its colossal body dominating the horizon, its enormous eyes fixed on the Old Blind Man below. From Leize’s vantage, he sensed a threat emanating from the Blind Man.

*How had he recovered in such a short amount of time?*

*Was the Demon Saint’s earlier delay for his sake?*

*Had he acted a moment too late?*

*No...*

*Even if the Blind Man had recovered, what of it? He was a proud member of the Demon Dragon Clan.*

Amid the heavens, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Crash! Bolts of lightning tore through the celestial vault, illuminating the blackened skies.

"You, a mere blind man, dare to meddle in Demon Race matters? Die!"

The Demon Dragon roared, opening its maw to unleash a colossal pillar of lightning that radiated devastating energy as it shot toward the Old Blind Man.

The Blind Man formed a Condensed Sword Seal with his hands. Instantly, a pillar of sword light erupted before him, transforming into a Sword Dao barrier. The fearsome lightning collided with the sword barrier yet was blocked outside.

Bathed in sword light within the Sword Wall, the Old Blind Man stood immovable as sword beams shot skyward from his body.

"Xiao Fan," the Old Blind Man called out.

"I’m here," Li Fan responded.

"Once, at thirty, I slew a dragon. Today, I’ll slay another Demon Dragon. Someday, you must surpass me," the Old Blind Man declared.

"Don’t worry. I won’t let you down," Li Fan replied with a smile.