Chapter 19: Battle Against the Demon Ancestor (Part I)

On the Continent of Thick Earth, the Shadow Demon lineage among the demon race is most adept at various eerie and treacherous combat techniques; encountering them is often a source of great headache for the human race. Yet, this time, as the Shadow Demons invaded the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, they could never have imagined that among the humans, there would exist such a strange and unpredictable character as Wu Shu.

When Wu Shu sensed a powerful demonic aura surging continuously from beneath the Temple of the War God, he understood clearly that the extent of the damage to the core array following this human-demon war far exceeded what many had imagined. At this moment, if no one stood up, even if the stone monument could suppress the Giant Elephant, it was unlikely that the Demon Ancestor could be contained.

With the experts of both the human and demon races currently fixated on the Monument Spirit, Wu Shu pondered how he should intervene.

As things stood, without sufficient spirit stones to ensure his own survival, Wu Shu was still a weakling. He knew this well. No matter how strong his mental power might be, it depended heavily on the situation at hand. The inhabitants of the Continent of Thick Earth were all physical cultivation monsters; if Wu Shu were caught in close quarters, one wrong move would mean his death. Moreover, apart from array-based techniques, he lacked effective methods for mental attacks, and the amount of mental power he could mobilize at any given time was limited.

"Boss, hurry up and make your move!"

To ensure his intervention had a deterrent effect on the various demon powerhouses, Wu Shu felt he needed to get into character before acting.

After a moment of thought, Wu Shu had a plan. He replied languidly, "I know, I know, don't rush me. It’s just one old demon monster, what is there to make such a fuss about? To wipe him out, isn't it just as easy as a fart?"

Wu Shu’s intention was to convey through his nonchalant attitude that he felt no pressure, even when facing an ancient monster like the Demon Ancestor. As for why he felt no pressure and who gave him such courage, he left that for others to guess.

Wishing to let everyone know he had backing, Wu Shu added, "Back in the day, when my master went out for training, he left me some spirit stones for self-defense. Today, to save all living beings under heaven, I shall endure the pain of parting with them."

The Monument Spirit had been pleading for Wu Shu's help, and the demon experts had been ready to intervene. Upon hearing that Wu Shu was merely bringing out some spirit stones to assist the Monument Spirit, the demon experts could not help but laugh out loud. What a foolish human boy! What kind of figure was the Demon Ancestor? If mere spirit stones could harm him, the Demon Ancestor would be no more than paper.

The demon party didn't even bother to stop him, and the human experts sighed in succession upon hearing Wu Shu's words. Where did this silly boy come from? If spirit stones could harm the Demon Ancestor, there would be no need for this battle—they could just bring a pile of spirit stones to the Temple of the War God and pelt him with them the moment he appeared.

Wu Shu did not want to show off. Even though the dozen spirit stones in his hands were inscribed with Saint Runes, he kept the sacred aura of the stones suppressed, leaving the runes in a dormant state.

"Little Spirit, I shall assist you now."

Wu Shu tossed the dozen spirit stones toward the Monument Spirit’s location. Just as the stones were about to land, one of the demon experts suddenly moved. Possessing remarkable agility, the demon caught one of the stones and returned to the ranks of the demon party.

After examining the stone in his hand repeatedly and finding nothing unusual on its surface, the demon expert laughed from the bottom of his heart, "How ridiculous! Ordinary mid-grade spirit stones used to deal with the Ancestor? Is the human race truly devoid of talent? At a time like this, to let a child stand out and become a laughing stock."

As soon as he finished speaking, the demon experts roared with laughter.

Someone even took the opportunity to mock, "Weak humans, when the Ancestor returns shortly, you will all die even more miserably than the Heaven-Swallowing Great Ape."

"Is that so? I don't think so." The spirit stones, all inscribed with Saint Runes, were now in position. Hearing the mockery, Wu Shu’s calm voice rang out: "Saint Runes, condense."

When the Saint Runes were triggered, the Temple of the War God, previously teeming with demonic energy, was instantly filled with a sacred aura. The arm of the demon expert who had been fiddling with the spirit stone suddenly lost all vitality. The demon experts were completely stunned; in the blink of an eye, that unassuming spirit stone had purified their companion's arm?

"Ah? This damn spirit stone!"

Having suffered the brunt of the Saint Rune attack, the Demon Ancestor, who was attempting to break free from the suppression of the Temple of the War God, let out a roar as if tearing his throat apart.

The demon expert who had lost his arm also glared in fury, "Damn human boy, what did you just do?"

Wu Shu had long been prepared. Once the Saint Runes manifested, even if the human experts questioned him, he would only say, "Only now do you realize my power? My master once told me more than once that as long as I am obedient, I can have as many of these life-saving spirit stones as I want. Tell me, are you afraid now?"

Wu Shu's reckless bravado left the demon experts at a complete loss. Who on earth was Wu Shu's master? To be able to inscribe array runes on spirit stones, and to provide them in such abundance—was there some peerless expert hiding their name within the Kun Kingdom? If such an expert truly intervened, few among the present demon powerhouses would be a match for them.

Thinking of this, the demon experts began to consider retreating.

After suffering the Saint Rune attack, the Demon Ancestor realized the threat Wu Shu posed, but he did not fear him. After all, at such an age and only at the third stage of physical cultivation, Wu Shu was no different from a waste in terms of combat ability. However, the Demon Ancestor was curious: a human waste like this shouldn't come from the tutelage of a famous master. And given Wu Shu's youth, even with plenty of spirit stones, he was still just a child.

Thus, a voice came from the black demonic energy squeezed into the corner by the Saint Runes, "Human boy, can you tell me who your master is? Also, there is a disgusting bloodline aura about you. Which family are you from?"

Wu Shu had no desire to answer the Demon Ancestor's questions or, more accurately, his interrogations. One had to understand that Wu Shu and the Demon Ancestor were rivals, and the kind that would fight to the death. There was no need to waste breath on someone from the demon race who was destined to die by his hand.

Wu Shu replied lazily, "No."

This concise answer surprised every expert present. The word "tough" instantly became synonymous with Wu Shu.

The Demon Ancestor was almost driven to vomit blood by Wu Shu's reply. He feigned great anger, "Boy, even if you don't say who you are, the stench of that bloodline on you tells me clearly that you belong to that detestable family—the one that once boasted three heroes in a single generation."

The words coming from the black mist left Wu Shu with endless questions. Bloodline? Family? Three heroes in one generation? Could it be that the situation of the Wu family could get any worse? If it weren't for his lack of strength, after settling his younger brother, Wu Shu would have tried every possible means to find out about his father and mother.

Having said so much without seeing any curiosity from Wu Shu, the Demon Ancestor became somewhat incensed, "Boy, are you not curious why I know so much about you, or how I fought those three existences for three thousand rounds?"

"Not interested, and I don't want to know."

Hearing Wu Shu's bored reply, the Demon Ancestor felt as if he were about to explode. At such a young age, he was impervious to both soft and hard tactics, maintaining a stance of fighting to the death.

The Demon Ancestor raged, "Boy, very good, very good, you are quite something. If I, the Ancestor, cannot offer your blood to commemorate those lost years today, I would have no face to meet the Great Demon God in the future."

Good grief, another demon swearing an oath by the Great Demon God, and a "Demon Ancestor" at that.

Listening to the Demon Ancestor, Wu Shu felt he was far too long-winded. He gave an unprovoked yawn and said calmly, "Alright, alright, enough with the nonsense. If you have any moves, just use them. I'm still waiting to go home for dinner."

This...?

The experts present were completely at a loss. The one speaking was the Demon Ancestor, and this attitude of "hurry up" was meant to convey what exactly?

"Ah???" The Demon Ancestor was thoroughly infuriated by Wu Shu, almost to the point of madness. Since soft tactics wouldn't work, he would have to bring out the heavy artillery.

After a roar, the black energy in the Temple of the War God surged wildly once more. As the black energy spread, the experts of both races noticed something abnormal: this black demonic energy possessed an extremely powerful corrosive force. Under its influence, the massive stone pillars of the Temple of the War God began to crumble and shed debris.

Facing such powerful demonic energy, Wu Shu addressed Li Jianfeng, "Brother Li, you all should withdraw from the Temple of the War God first."

Before Li Jianfeng could persuade him otherwise, Wu Shu added, "Leave this place to me."

Wu Shu was going to face the Demon Ancestor alone? Even after seeing the techniques Wu Shu had used with the arrays, Li Jianfeng could not believe his ears at the thought of Wu Shu fighting the Demon Ancestor single-handedly.

However, the situation was complex and gave Li Jianfeng and the others little time to ponder. Within the Kun Kingdom, it was normal for few civilians to know Li Jianfeng's true identity, as he had always kept a low profile. But many of the Kun Kingdom experts in the Temple of the War God recognized him.

Seeing the Demon Ancestor about to break free, the human expert Duan Yun approached Li Jianfeng and said, "Your Highness, stay close to me later."

At this moment, Duan Yun looked at Wu Shu. He was completely skeptical of Wu Shu’s claims. With his third-stage physical cultivation, the boy wasn't even qualified to tie the Demon Ancestor's shoes.

Yet, to the surprise of everyone present, Li Jianfeng, despite a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, bowed to Wu Shu, "Brother Wu, the safety of the Kun Kingdom is in your hands."

Upon realizing that the one who had angered him was indeed surnamed Wu, the Demon Ancestor said, "You lot, withdraw as well!"

The demon race had a strict hierarchy; an existence at the level of an Ancestor was terrifying. The rest of the demons retreated immediately. Once they were gone, the Demon Ancestor calmed down and said majestically, "Wu boy, you are arrogant. Today, let me torture you properly to satisfy the hatred I have held for your Wu family for so many years."

Now that the others had withdrawn, Wu Shu was the only human left in the temple. Refusing to play the part of the weakling, he said coldly, "If you want to fight me, you'll have to see if you have the strength for it."

After speaking, Wu Shu produced several more spirit stones. Seeing them again, the black demonic energy in the temple halted its spread, preparing to go all out. Seeing this, Wu Shu shook his head in disdain, "You are old."

Then, Wu Shu looked at the monument stone, "Next, I will strike with all my might. After this, my body will surely suffer grave injuries."

At this moment, Wu Shu gave off an incredibly steady feeling, his eyes looking exceptionally profound.

The Monument Spirit, Little Spirit, was also stunned by Wu Shu's change. It knew what was sealed within Wu Shu's body, and it did have a way to save him. The Monument Spirit said confidently, "Boss, please feel free to strike. As long as you have a single breath left, I guarantee I can bring you back from the dead."

Originally, Wu Shu had only intended to try his best to hinder the Demon Ancestor. Upon hearing the Monument Spirit's words, he felt the urge to stake his life and fight with everything he had.