Watching the fist, carrying overwhelming power, enlarge before his eyes Huangfu Long quickly summoned the golden greatsword to block the blow.
With a loud boom a mushroom cloud of explosive force rose into the air.
This punch was immensely powerful, collapsing the space in front of them completely.
Huangfu Long and his golden greatsword were both blasted backward.
The members of the Huangfu Clan watched in shock and fury, roaring with rage.
Huangfu Long crashed into the nearby mountainside.
A mouthful of blood poured out of him uncontrollably,
Mixed with fragments of his internal organs.
“Setting up the Demon-Slaying Grand Formation inside Demon-Slaying Ridge… have you really grown this arrogant?” Xu Zimo said calmly.
Huangfu Long struggled to stand again, step by step, as the surrounding immortal energy surged into his body to heal him.
“As long as a single member of the Huangfu Clan still lives, we will never let you take one step further,” Huangfu Long shouted.
The immortal energy around him became even more intense.
The golden greatsword that had fallen to the ground flew back into the air, spinning around him.
He raised the golden greatsword high, bound in endless immortal energy at its tip.
Seeing his opponent so desperate, Xu Zimo remained calm.
He chuckled and asked, “Have I ever wronged you? Or has my Ancient Demon Race ever wronged you? Did I kill your mother or steal your wife?”
“No...” Huangfu Long frowned and shook his head.
“You see? There’s no past grievance between us,” Xu Zimo smiled. “You talk about slaying demons and upholding righteousness. But you’ve guarded this Demon-Slaying Ridge for tens of thousands of years, killing countless people who entered. This land isn’t your family’s property. So tell me, between us, who is the real demon? Who is the righteous one?”
“This was the will of the Holy Progenitor. The Huangfu Clan is simply carrying it out,” Huangfu Long replied coldly.
“What the hell is a Holy Progenitor? Just a hollow title. How much do you even know about him? Just because someone gave you their legacy, you’re willing to be their dog?” Xu Zimo shook his head with a mocking laugh. “In the end, you’re just a slave. Driven by profit. Willing to be a dog for gain. You just don’t like being called that, so you wrap yourself in the flag of righteousness. Babbling about justice like it means something. When anyone can claim to stand for justice, what’s it even worth?”
The members of the Huangfu Clan looked embarrassed, their faces turning pale with shame.
“Say what you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re part of the Ancient Demon Race,” Huangfu Long roared. “All demons must be slain. Killing demons is the righteous path.”
“That’s the thing,” Xu Zimo said with a smile. “People’s prejudices are like mountains, no matter how hard you try, they won’t budge. So why should I waste time trying to wake someone who pretends to sleep? If you love sleeping so much, I’ll just cut off your head so you can sleep forever. Sounds fair, right?”
“There’s no reasoning with demon scum like you. Our paths are not the same,” Huangfu Long growled.
The golden greatsword in his hand once again slashed down with a sweeping storm.
Xu Zimo looked at the sword indifferently.
He reached out his right hand. Demonic energy surged as he caught the sword’s blade in his palm.
Boom! The blade clashed against his hand.
Sword intent rippled outward.
Golden blood dripped from Xu Zimo’s palm,
But his expression didn’t change. He calmly held onto the sword.
No matter how hard Huangfu Long tried, he couldn’t cut down with it.
He tried to pull the sword free, but Xu Zimo’s grip was like iron, unmoving.
“Kill him!” Huangfu Long turned and shouted to the others.
The remaining members of the Huangfu Clan quickly responded.
Under the lead of Patriarch Huangfu Xiong, waves of immortal energy surged as they surrounded Xu Zimo.
They charged in from all directions.
But at that moment, the demonic aura in the sky exploded in fury.
Xu Zimo’s body was enveloped in power fused with the might of the Heaven-Shattering Giant.
The titanic demon behind him turned completely pitch-black.
Xu Zimo extended his other hand and the giant conjured by the demon aura mirrored him, slamming its palm toward the enemies.
Booming explosions rocked all of Demon-Slaying Ridge.
The ground beneath them collapsed completely under the force.
All the members of the Huangfu Clan, including Huangfu Long, were sent flying.
Their bodies slammed into the surrounding mountains.
With the destruction of the formation’s nodes, the Demon-Slaying Grand Formation, already unstable, was completely shattered.
Huangfu Long’s body was drenched in blood as he and his clan members struggled to rise again.
Xu Zimo looked at the golden greatsword in his hand and casually tossed it forward.
The greatsword, full of sharp intent, stabbed into the ground just inches from Huangfu Long’s head.
The others, who had been trying to get up, froze in fear and dared not move.
Xu Zimo walked toward them calmly.
The current patriarch, Huangfu Xiong, leaned against some broken rocks and looked up at Xu Zimo's approaching figure.
Their Huangfu Clan had followed the Holy Progenitor’s will to guard Demon-Slaying Ridge and stop the Infernal Lord.
But in this moment, he found the situation almost laughable.
The Infernal Lord's stride was like the rolling flood of an unstoppable era.
That figure was tyrannical and unrestrained.
Their clan, in comparison, was nothing more than dust in a storm, barely even worth calling resistance.
“So this is the Infernal Lord…” he murmured.
That figure now stood before them.
“Kneel. Beg for mercy,” Xu Zimo said, pulling the golden sword free.
Its blade lightly nicked Huangfu Long’s neck.
Blood dripped out as Xu Zimo spoke coldly.
Huangfu Long looked at Xu Zimo and smiled faintly.
“If you're going to kill me, just do it. Good and evil cannot coexist. I do not regret my choice. And I’ll never bow to you.”
“Enough with that ‘good and evil’ crap,” Xu Zimo snapped. “People look out for themselves, anyone who doesn’t deserves to die. This world was made for struggle. One general’s victory is built on a mountain of corpses. I’m not surprised by anyone’s choices. But today, I’m strong. You’re weak. I’m standing. You’re on the ground. Face your failure. Don’t use this so-called righteousness as your final excuse.”
“Say what you like. I, Huangfu Long, even in death, my honour is heavier than Mount Tai. I will never bow to you,” he replied coldly.
“Is that so?” Xu Zimo clapped his hands with a smile.
A massive figure, Chaos, flew in from the edge of the sky.
On its back sat many people.
When the Huangfu Clan members saw them, their faces changed drastically.
“These must be your family,” Xu Zimo smiled. “Quite the plan, trying to send them out of Demon-Slaying Ridge. You clearly came here expecting to die. But I thought it over, and I think you should all reunite. A whole family should be together.”