The Jiu Kui Demon King had originally planned to easily destroy this Sea State, but he was unexpectedly interrupted. His prized Dharma Treasure, the Yin Transformation Furnace, was pinned mid-air, and judging by its appearance, it seemed to be a True Artifact.
He was greatly shocked. Since his path to Dao began, cultivators with True Artifacts were extremely rare, and each one possessed profound cultivation, not one of them beneath him in strength. He quickly retreated several steps, taking a defensive posture, his face revealing a wary expression.
A hazy cloud of mist rose from below, lifting up a young Daoist of extraordinary elegance, his sleeves fluttering gracefully.
The Jiu Kui Demon King scrutinized closely, first stunned and then enraged. This young Daoist appeared to be no more than a mere Xuan Guang Practitioner. Yet here he was, taking cautious measures against someone seemingly insignificant—his pride was immediately wounded. He growled angrily, "Junior, are you courting death?!"
With a thunderous roar, he stepped forward and aimed a punch directly at Zhang Yan’s face. He was a Power Dao cultivator, and this punch stirred up a tempest of raging Gang Wind almost instantaneously.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly and quickly performed a spell. Three hundred sixty-five drops of You Yin Heavy Water emerged above his head, descending like hail and snow in a fierce torrent.
The Jiu Kui Demon King, confident in his solid body, let out a cold snort. Without dodging or avoiding, he charged forward, raising both fists to strike at the heavy water.
But soon, he sensed something was amiss. At first, he managed to strike away a dozen or so drops of heavy water, but each drop weighed thousands of pounds. Shortly after, his arms grew numb and exhausted. His movements slowed, letting some drops of heavy water through, which struck him squarely in the face. Instantly, his vision blackened, his face bruised, and his stance fell into disarray, leaving an opening exposed.
Dozens of heavy water drops mercilessly slammed into his chest, making him feel as though he had been struck with a massive hammer. He experienced a wave of suffocation, and his throat filled with a salty metallic taste. He swallowed it back hastily, realizing he couldn’t endure further. Reluctantly, he turned to flee.
Zhang Yan’s expression revealed faint mockery. Seizing his advantage, he sent a commanding gesture, propelling over two hundred drops of heavy water forward. With a loud "bang," the heavy water struck the Jiu Kui Demon King’s back. Despite his iron-like physique, he couldn’t withstand the force and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood with a guttural cry. Staggering, he barely managed to stabilize himself without falling off the cloud.
Power Dao cultivators may have resilient bodies impervious to ordinary attacks, but unless they reached the Hua Dan Realm, refining their organs into solid lumps of gold, they were most vulnerable to internal shock from such strikes.
Another Demon King witnessing this scene was equally uncertain and alarmed. He grabbed Lady Shan by the collar, pulling her forward and growling in a low tone, "Lady Shan, could this be the helper you invited?"
Lady Shan had also witnessed this moment just now. Earlier, she had fought bitterly for a long time, relying on the disciples in her sect and the support of the array diagram to trap the Jiu Kui Demon King, yet she knew it would be nearly impossible to capture him.
But now, seeing Zhang Yan effortlessly force the Jiu Kui Demon King into a retreat while spitting blood, the shock she felt was beyond words.
She had already guessed this man must be the prestigious guest of the Yin family that Xiu’er had mentioned. Witnessing such bravery and might, a glimmer of hope for escape arose in her heart. But upon further thought, she recalled she had sent Xiu’er to attempt driving this man away. The man had shown no reaction and had refrained from assisting earlier, clearly disdaining to intervene on her behalf. With a long sigh, she relinquished the thought.
The Jiu Kui Demon King wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bellowed, "Who cares who he is! Second Brother, the matter between us here must never be leaked. Act quickly and join me in killing this junior!"
With those words, his expression hardened. He opened his mouth and spat out a streak of black light. The light expanded in the wind, transforming into a seven-foot-long Black Wood Wave-stirring Stick. With this weapon in hand, his confidence surged, and he charged at Zhang Yan with great ferocity.
The Demon King referred to as "Second Brother" had also recognized the formidable nature of Zhang Yan’s heavy water. It was impossible for either of them to defeat him alone. Without hesitation, he whipped out a cloth sack, forced Lady Shan into it, then chanted a mantra to seal the bag. Following that, he retrieved his divine weapon, the Jili Sky-reaching Stick, and lunged toward Zhang Yan as well.
Being created from the same essence, the two Demon Kings had an unspoken mutual understanding. Immediately, they split into left and right positions, launching a pincer attack from both directions.
Zhang Yan’s demeanor remained composed. With a flick of his sleeve, the three hundred sixty-five drops of You Yin Heavy Water spun in mid-air.
Then, it coalesced into a long, ink-black stream that surged toward the Demon King on the left.
The Demon King, who had already suffered greatly under the heavy water earlier, was startled and dared not face it head-on. He hurriedly swung the Black Wood Stick, creating a whirl of light and shadows that barely managed to fend off the heavy water. Yet, wave upon wave of relentless strikes battered him until he was forced to retreat continuously.