Chapter 112: Battle at the Pinnacle

Chu Xinghe remained composed. The blade of his Spirit Blade, Sunfire, turned a deep, blood-red, and suddenly, crimson flames erupted from it, transforming into a powerful fiery blast.

Under the force of the violent, close-range explosion, the Black Yaksha was sent hurtling backward at such incredible speed—like a launched rocket—that it crashed straight into a towering building behind it.

"Boom!"

The impact caused the ten-story building to crumble; the load-bearing walls shattered instantly, bringing the entire structure down into a heap of debris as a frenzied shockwave kicked up a massive cloud of dust.

Chu Xinghe stood unscathed, his platinum combat trench coat fluttering in the gale. He slowly lowered his Spirit Blade, his expression cold and unruffled.

Watching this, the crowd was stunned. The Black Yaksha, which they had been unable to budge despite their combined efforts, had actually been sent flying. They knew that even the previous joint assault by Liu Shiyu and Xu Ye had barely forced the creature back a few steps, with negligible effect.

This was the combat prowess of an Ace-class fighter!

Chu Xinghe held his crimson katana, and with a soft hiss, scorching golden-red flames burst from the blade, enveloping it entirely. He then swung the blazing spirit weapon in a horizontal arc. As he moved, a five-meter-long, crescent-shaped crimson light blade flew forward.

"Whoosh!"

"Boom!"

The light blade smashed into the ruins, triggering a violent explosion as if countless bundles of dynamite had been detonated at once. A terrifying, raging inferno erupted, creating a magnificent and shocking spectacle. The heatwave from the light and fire caused the flames to roar, instantly turning the ruins into a sea of fire. Amidst the raging inferno, glowing embers drifted like beautiful fireflies.

Suddenly, the center of the ruins burst open, and a black shadow shot out, soaring into the sky.

The Black Yaksha’s armor was singed with flickers of flame. Though it looked somewhat disheveled, it had sustained no major damage.

"..."

The Black Yaksha narrowed its crimson eyes, looking down at Chu Xinghe from above. Beneath its grey-white skull mask, its expression was heavy; it had not expected this man to be so strong. Its dark, greyish-black armor possessed immense defensive capabilities, yet this man had pierced it with ease. In that last clash of raw power, it had lost the exchange.

This was the power of an Ace—it was almost unbelievable.

However, as a former Fourth Abyss-dweller, the Black Yaksha’s own strength was at the pinnacle; the gap was not insurmountable. Having lived a quiet, peaceful life for over a decade without combat, it had naturally fallen behind in terms of the seasoned experience that Chu Xinghe possessed.

At this point, Cheng Feng should have already led the maids out of the encirclement, so it could finally fight without restraint.

"I only wanted to live a peaceful life. I did not want to return to those days of slaughter. You forced my hand..."

The Black Yaksha’s gaze turned vicious. A tyrannical dark aura surged forth, diffusing into the atmosphere and sending ripples like a tsunami through the void. The pressure was so immense that the overcast clouds in the sky were pulled into a swirling vortex, accompanied by the sound of thunder.

"Monsters have no right to exist. Vile beings like you born into this world are a mistake in themselves."

Chu Xinghe tilted his head slightly, watching the 'black dot' high above. A cold light flickered in his fiery red eyes, and his expression tightened. A surge of scorching flames ignited around his body, finally coalescing behind his back.

With a roar, two jets of intense fire erupted from his shoulders.

They formed two vast wings of flame, which appeared dazzling and brilliant against the grey, overcast sky. With a powerful flap of these fiery wings, Chu Xinghe rose from the ground and took to the air, charging toward the Black Yaksha with his burning spirit blade in hand.

The demon hunters below looked up, staring at the figure that resembled a god of fire, all feeling a sense of astonishment. Although they had long known that Chu Xinghe’s combat power as an Ace-class member was not to be underestimated, seeing him take flight caught them off guard. Many demon hunters possessed the ability to fly, but that was typically a unique trait of their individual powers—like He Molie, who possessed wind-based abilities and could traverse the sky at will. Chu Xinghe’s fire ability, however, did not include flight; the scene before them shattered their understanding. They hadn't imagined he had developed his fire element to such a level that he could even manifest wings of flame.

High in the sky, the Black Yaksha saw the flaming figure rushing toward it and narrowed its red eyes beneath the skull mask.

"Human, come then..." It dove downward, neither dodging nor retreating, meeting Chu Xinghe head-on.

The Black Yaksha channeled its energy into its right arm, causing the giant black-and-red blade on its wrist to flash with a dazzling black light. The energy significantly enhanced the blade's cutting power and destructive force.

With another flap of his fiery wings, Chu Xinghe gained speed, turning into a streaking bolt of raging flame. His spirit blade, [Sunfire], suddenly erupted with wild crimson flames, extending to dozens of meters in length.

In the sky, the distance between the two closed rapidly. With fierce momentum, they swung their blades simultaneously, colliding in a head-on clash.

"Boom!"

A sky-shattering explosion rang out. Red and black energies intertwined and erupted in the air, creating a dazzling and magnificent burst of light. It was as blinding as a second sun, radiating terrifying explosive shockwaves and creating a turbulent storm that tore at the air and the clouds.

The entire sky was covered by the cascading waves of fire. This celestial anomaly was clearly visible even to the people in the city, leaving them struck with awe and terror.

Watching the terrifying shockwaves of the explosion, the people were deeply shaken. It was hard to imagine that such a change in the heavens was caused by the clash of two individuals; it was truly a terrifying natural disaster.

This was combat at the pinnacle...

"It’s too terrifying. A battle of this magnitude is far beyond us," Xu Ye said, swallowing hard, his voice filled with shock.

"Indeed, it is powerful. This is my first time seeing an Ace-class member in action. I didn't think they were this formidable. He truly lives up to the name of the strongest demon hunter," an elite captain beside him remarked, equally stunned.

"Damn it, to be stuck here just watching... I’m so frustrated. I want to join in," Xu Ye said indignantly.

"If you dare go up there, I’ll report you for feeding the enemy," the elite captain said calmly. "And what are you afraid of? That’s Lord Chu. He has never been defeated, and no monster has ever survived his blade. He will definitely win."

Liu Shiyu watched the horizon without speaking. Her cold face remained as calm as ever, her hand silently tightening around her blade, Frost Moon. Suddenly, she sensed something and snapped her gaze toward a certain direction, catching a faint glimpse of a black shadow standing on a building's rooftop.

The black-robed figure, who had been watching the battle all this time, vanished in an instant.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

Shen Changqing was walking down the street. When he encountered acquaintances, they would greet each other with a nod or a word.

But no matter who it was, no one had any excess expression on their faces, as if they were indifferent to everything.

Shen Changqing was accustomed to this.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an organization dedicated to maintaining the stability of the Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons and monsters, though it had other sidelines as well.

It could be said that everyone in the Demon Suppression Division had blood on their hands. When a person becomes accustomed to life and death, they naturally become indifferent to many things.

When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing was somewhat unaccustomed to it, but over time, he had grown used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast. Those who could remain there were either formidable experts or individuals with the potential to become one. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter.

The Division was divided into two roles: Protectors and Demon Slayers. Anyone entering the Division started as a low-level Demon Slayer, climbing the ranks step by step with the hope of eventually becoming a Protector.

Shen Changqing’s predecessor had been a trainee Demon Slayer, the lowest rank among them. Having inherited the predecessor’s memories, he was very familiar with the environment of the Division.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a pavilion. Unlike the rest of the Division, which was filled with a murderous aura, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, presenting a different kind of tranquility amidst the blood-stained surroundings.

The gates of the pavilion were open, and people occasionally entered and exited.

Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

Upon entering, the atmosphere changed abruptly. A scent of ink mixed with a faint trace of blood wafted toward him, causing him to instinctively frown, though he quickly relaxed.

The smell of blood on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was something that could almost never be fully washed away.