RNP Chapter 780 Melee
Chapter 780 Melee
A hush fell over the arena, broken only by the rustling of withered leaves carried by the mountain wind through the treetops, like someone grinding their teeth in the shadows. The suppressed breathing of both sides rose and fell, heavy and labored like broken bellows. A thick, pungent stench of blood mingled with the distinctive, acrid odor of demons, clinging stickily to the body like an invisible net slowly tightening, pressing down on the chest. A fierce battle was imminent; a single spark could ignite the tense situation.
On the demon side, the white-faced fox demon was still the leader. Her white robes were stained with a few drops of blood, which only accentuated her eerie face. Her long, narrow eyes were slightly upturned, and her gaze held a calculating glint. Behind her, a snake demon, its tongue flicking, coiled on a rock. Its green scales gleamed coldly in the shadows of the trees, and its forked tongue occasionally darted out, seemingly sniffing out the scent of prey. Also present were Xiong Da and Xiong Er, two burly bear demons who had just fought with Lao Si. They were clutching deep, bone-revealing wounds on their arms, black blood dripping from between their fingers and pattering on the ground. They breathed heavily, their chests heaving like bellows, but their eyes were fierce, as if they wanted to devour someone, fixed intently on Lao Si opposite them.
On the fourth brother's side, Elder Qingyi stood at the forefront, his snow-white whisk swirling in his hand, creating wisps of air as it moved slightly. His eyes were calm as still water, as if the tense standoff before him had nothing to do with him. The eldest brother gripped the long sword at his waist, the hilt gleaming with sweat, his knuckles white, clearly having exerted maximum force. Evil Wolf maintained his half-human-sized wolf form, his jet-black fur bristling like steel needles, a low growl emanating from his throat, saliva dripping from his sharp fangs, gleaming coldly in the twilight. The two sides were evenly matched, four against four, and the situation was temporarily deadlocked.
The fox demon's eyes darted around rapidly, her unease growing stronger—this was, after all, human territory, only a few dozen miles from the nearest cultivator stronghold. Delaying would do them no good. If the human cultivators discovered that the demons had secretly led troops out of the mountains, violating the old alliance, none of them would escape; they would all be captured and imprisoned in the Demon-Locking Tower, never to rise again.
Her eyes swept across the area opposite her, finally landing on the evil wolf. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she raised her voice, "Evil Wolf, you say you're a demon, yet you help humans fight against your own kind. What are you thinking? Have you forgotten the days when our demon race was oppressed by humans? Have you forgotten the years we endured hunger and thirst in the valleys, without even a decent piece of land?"
The evil wolf chuckled, its wolf eyes filled with mockery, and its mouth grinned, revealing sharp fangs: "Don't give me that. Do you really think I don't know what your situation is? The demon race has already been defeated, trapped in that barren valley by the human race, and even taking a step out is restricted by the barrier. Are you going to follow your foolish actions and wait to be wiped out by the human cultivators? I'm not that stupid."
"You...you're a traitor to the demon race!" The fox demon's face turned pale with anger, her once charming voice trembling uncontrollably as she pointed at the evil wolf. "Have you forgotten who was starving in the valley, gnawing on tree bark and chewing on grass roots? Have you forgotten how human cultivators broke into our lair and slaughtered our old, weak, women, and children? You're helping them now, but you'll be betrayed sooner or later! They never considered you one of their own!"
"It's better than following you to your deaths." The evil wolf howled, its front paws digging deep furrows in the ground, sending dirt flying. "Following the sect leader, at least we have a place to stay in human territory, and we can eat and dress warmly. Unlike you, who only know how to hide in the shadows and do these petty thefts, stealing scraps that cultivators don't want. Do you really think you can turn the world upside down?"
Elder Qingyi spoke at the opportune moment, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power, like a mountain stream crashing against a rock: "Further words are useless. You have trespassed into human territory and attacked my sect's disciples, injuring my fellow disciples. This matter cannot be left unresolved. Either surrender and come back with us to receive your punishment, or experience the methods of my sect."
The fox demon knew further persuasion was useless; this evil wolf was determined to side with the human race. Her eyes hardened, and her long, slender nails suddenly sharpened into blades. She roared, "Since that's how it is, then don't blame us for being impolite! Brothers, charge! Take them down, and we might still have a chance to survive!"
Before the words were even finished, the snake demon darted out like a streak of green lightning, lunging straight at the leader who was closest to him; Xiong Da and Xiong Er also roared and charged forward, their fists, as big as casserole dishes, slamming towards the fourth brother with a whooshing sound; the fox demon, meanwhile, blurred into several white shadows, entangling Elder Qingyi. A chaotic battle erupted instantly.
The evil wolf grinned, revealing sharp fangs. It suddenly lunged forward, its gray form a blur as it charged towards the crowd, only to be blocked by a blue figure. The snake demon flicked its forked tongue, its scales gleaming coldly in the moonlight: "Wolf demon, your opponent is me."
Before the words were even finished, the snake demon had already coiled around the evil wolf's waist like a long whip. Its cold scales scraped against the wolf's fur, sending up a stench. The evil wolf roared, its claws slashing fiercely at the snake demon's vital spot, but the snake demon nimbly dodged, instead striking the wolf's shoulder with its tail, causing it to stagger backward. The two instantly became entangled in combat, wolf howls and snake hisses mingling, the sharp sound of claws tearing through the air and the rustling of scales rubbing together rising and falling, neither gaining the upper hand for a moment.
On the other side, Elder Qingyi, whisk in hand, faced the alluring fox demon with a solemn expression. The fox demon flicked several crimson foxfires from her fingertips, shooting towards Qingyi like meteors, their tongues licking the air and carrying scorching heat. Qingyi lightly waved his whisk, and a pale golden barrier appeared out of thin air, blocking all the foxfires. The moment the barrier shattered, he had already closed in, his whisk transforming into several silver threads, aiming straight for the fox demon's vitals. The fox demon's figure blurred, transforming into three afterimages, indistinguishable from the real one. Each afterimage lashed out a fluffy fox tail, whipping towards Qingyi with a powerful gust of wind. The two figures weaved through light and shadow, the colliding magic illuminating half the sky.
The fourth brother, clutching an old wound on his waist, faced off against Xiong Da. Xiong Da roared and swung his massive, fan-like paw, striking with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks. The fourth brother dodged to the side, the force of the blow sweeping across the ancient tree behind him, snapping its trunk in two. He gritted his teeth, drawing his short sword from his waist. The blade, infused with spiritual energy, glowed with a ghostly blue light. Each strike aimed directly at Xiong Da's joints. Xiong Da, with his thick hide, seemed oblivious to the multiple cuts, growing even more ferocious with each blow. The fourth brother, using his agile movements to dodge and weave, gradually regained his footing.
The eldest brother was fighting with Xiong Er. Xiong Er swung a huge rock around him and hurled it at him. The eldest brother leaped up, and the rock crashed to the ground, creating a deep crater. He formed a hand seal, and suddenly several stone spikes rose from the ground, forcing Xiong Er to retreat repeatedly. However, Xiong Er was hit by a heavy punch from Xiong Er, which shattered the stone spikes. The eldest brother was also shaken, causing his blood to surge.