Just then, a frantic alert blared in his mind. Shit! The system shrieked. That old Nascent Soul bastard—he's coming right for you!
Luo Zhen's blood ran cold. "What?"
He knows you killed his disciple, and now he's coming for payback, the System explained, its voice tight with urgency. He's moving at an insane speed. We have to go. Now. Or we're dead.
"Fine. I'm heading for the Red Desert," Luo Zhen snapped, wasting no time. Wings of pure energy unfurled from his back, and he launched himself westward, a golden streak against the sky.
As he flew, a sliver of defiance sparked within him. "Is he really that strong?" he asked the System. "Don't I have any shot at all?"
None, the System replied, its tone flat and absolute. A Nascent Soul cultivator is on the same level as a Demon King. What are you going to throw at him? That Skull Ghost Fire of yours?
"No," Luo Zhen admitted, shaking his head. "I know its limits. It can handle a Core Formation cultivator, sure, but not someone at the Nascent Soul level. But… I can still summon the Nine-Infant Demon Shadow."
The Demon Shadow's power is tied to yours, the System reminded him. At your current stage, all you can summon is a half-baked Demon King, and only for a few seconds. You'd be swatted out of the sky before you could even blink. Stop thinking about fighting and just run!
"Alright, you've made your point." Luo Zhen flicked his serpentine tongue, a gesture of nervous energy, and pumped his wings harder.
A moment later, the System's voice crackled with renewed panic. Oh, no. He's locked onto your position! He knows you're on the run!
He's changed course! He's getting faster!
"Then what? Use the Gale Talisman?" Luo Zhen's voice was grim.
Now! Use it! You have no idea how fast this guy is!
Luo Zhen didn't hesitate. He focused his will, and the Gale Talisman embedded in his very being roared to life. A torrent of cyan energy exploded around him. Luo Zhen became a blur, his speed rocketing up by a factor of ten. He was moving like a Demon King.
The power came at a cost. He could feel his demonic energy draining away like sand through a sieve. The moment it ran out, the talisman would fail.
It didn't take long for the System to deliver more bad news.
He sped up, too! He's in all-out pursuit, and he's matching your speed!
"Damn it," Luo Zhen seethed. "He's definitely locked onto me. How else could he match my speed the second I activated the talisman?"
It seems that way, the System said, sounding grimly resigned.
"System, what if I cash in for a Wind Evasion Talisman?" Luo Zhen proposed. "That's Demon Emperor level. It has to be enough to shake him!"
Host, you have the points for it. The System conceded. After you converted all those resources from the Wu Kingdom, you're flush. But it's not that simple. All talismans run on your demonic power. A talisman of that level would drain you dry in seconds.
"Right." Luo Zhen flicked his tongue again. The Gale Talisman had already burned through a fifth of his reserves. A more powerful one would be suicide. His only advantage was his unique bloodline; as a superior spirit snake, his demonic reserves were far deeper than any other beast at his level. A normal Sky Profound demon would have been running on fumes by now.
There are Invisibility Talismans in the store that can mask your aura, the System offered. But they're high-level. And expensive.
"How expensive?"
Even the lowest-grade one is thirty thousand points.
"Thirty thousand?" Luo Zhen was floored. "The Gale Talisman was a Demon King-level item, and it only cost me a thousand. Are you serious?"
I am, the System replied. And trust me, they're worth every point.
"Well, I can't afford it," Luo Zhen grumbled. "Looks like I'm sticking with the old-fashioned way: running like hell."
Meanwhile, the red-faced elder stood calmly on his flying sword, his hands a blur as they formed a complex seal. He could feel the faint trace of his target's aura, a stubborn spark in the distance.
"A demon snake that can match my speed… Remarkable," he muttered, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "I wasn't aware the Wu Kingdom had a new Demon King."
His expression hardened. "But it doesn't matter what you are. You killed my prized disciple. For that, you will face me."
He poured more energy into the sword, and it shot forward, a crimson missile closing the distance.
The chase was a dead heat. Luo Zhen fled, and the elder pursued. With both moving at Demon King speeds, the gap between them remained stubbornly unchanged.
Finally, the endless landscape gave way to dunes of crimson sand. He had reached the Red Desert.
"System, I'm down to my last twenty percent of demonic energy!" Luo Zhen said, panic creeping into his voice. "The talisman's about to fail. What do I do?"
Without his demonic power, the talisman would shatter. Worse, he'd be too weak to use most of his abilities, even stealth. All he'd have left were the Skull Ghost Fire and the Demon Shadow—both useless against an enemy this powerful.
Bank North, the System ordered instantly. My scans show two Demon Kings fighting about a thousand li from here. Lead the old man to them and use the chaos to escape.
"Got it." Luo Zhen veered sharply, pushing his body toward the new heading.
He covered the distance in what felt like an instant. Just as he saw the battle raging on the horizon, his internal reserves sputtered and died. The Gale Talisman dissolved into nothing.
He was still airborne—his wings were physical, not magical—but his speed dropped dramatically. He beat them frantically, his gaze locked on the scene below. Two gargantuan beasts were locked in combat: a crimson scorpion the size of a hill and a centipede with a hundred scythe-like legs. The air crackled with their power as they tore into each other, oblivious to his arrival.
"Hey! You two Demon Kings!" Luo Zhen bellowed, his voice echoing across the desert. "You need to stop fighting! There's a human cultivator from the Nascent Soul realm coming this way! He's planning to kill you both and brew soup with your demon souls!"
Both creatures froze. A human cultivator? Here?
"What?"
"Some pathetic human thinks he can throw his weight around in the Red Desert? He must have a death wish!"
Their fight forgotten, the two Demon Kings turned their full attention to the approaching threat. Demon beasts, for all their infighting, had a simple rule: when humans showed up, all other bets were off.
A blinding light enveloped them both. When it faded, a red-haired man stood where the scorpion had been, and a towering, dark-skinned brute had replaced the centipede. They had assumed their human forms. For beasts who had cultivated a demon soul, it was a simple trick, and Luo Zhen wasn't surprised in the least.
The Red Scorpion King looked up, his eyes narrowed. "Alright, little serpent," he growled. "Where's this human you were talking about?"
"He'll be here any second," Luo Zhen said. "Give it five minutes, tops."
"Fine. We'll wait," the Scorpion King snarled. "If a human really shows up, we'll tear him apart. But if you're lying to us… I'll be peeling your skin off myself." The Centipede King grunted in agreement.
"Why would I lie to two powerful Demon Kings?" Luo Zhen said with an innocent flap of his wings. "Just watch."
Five minutes later, a speck of red appeared on the horizon. It grew rapidly, resolving into a red flying sword with a single, red-faced rider.
"A human, just like he said!" the Scorpion King roared. He thrust an arm forward, and the very air for ten li around them seemed to ignite and explode.
The Centipede King acted in concert, slamming his palm toward the sky. The gravity around the elder intensified a hundredfold. Caught completely off guard, the old man wavered and tumbled off his sword.
He managed to right himself before hitting the ground, but his face was a mask of fury and confusion. "What the hell? Why are you two attacking me?"
"You damn human! Weren't you the one who came here to kill us?!" the Scorpion King bellowed.
"That's right! You want to hunt us on our own land? We'll kill you first!" the Centipede King added, already launching another volley of attacks.
"When did I ever say I was going to kill you?" the elder sputtered, dodging desperately. "I'm warning you, attack me again and I will retaliate!"
"Threatening us now, are you?!" That was the last straw. The two Demon Kings unleashed their full fury.
The desert became a storm of chaotic energy. While the three powerhouses were busy trying to kill each other, Luo Zhen beat a hasty retreat, vanishing over the dunes.
He didn't stop until he was three thousand li away.
The fight's over, the System finally announced.
"And?" Luo Zhen asked, his heart still pounding.
The red-faced elder is severely wounded. It'll take him at least a year to fully recover. He won't be setting foot in the Red Desert to bother you anytime soon.
"Thank god." Luo Zhen let out a long, shuddering breath.
He landed and rested, letting his demonic energy slowly seep back into his weary body. Once he felt functional again, he asked, "Okay, System. What's next?"
Keep going, the System advised. Five hundred li ahead, there's a demon beast city called Flying Sand City. It's a lot like the Chaotic Waters—bustling, dangerous, and full of opportunity. It's the perfect place for you to test your skills. Just one piece of advice: don't fly in. A flying golden snake tends to attract the wrong kind of attention.
"Got it. On foot it is," Luo Zhen agreed, folding his wings and flicking his tongue.
Hold on. Something's happening, the System cut in.
"What now?"
There's a group of beasts up ahead, and they're coming your way. Looks like a pack of lizards chasing a snake.
"What level are they?" Luo Zhen asked cautiously.
All Sky Profound Realm. Same as you.
"Then it's no big deal." Luo Zhen shrugged and continued slithering forward.
Sure enough, a chaotic scene soon appeared over the next dune. A seventy-meter-long yellow snake was fleeing for its life, pursued by five hulking lizards. All of them, hunter and hunted, were in the early stages of the Sky Profound Realm.
"Help! Somebody, help me!" the yellow snake shrieked.
"Hah! Nowhere left to run, you yellow worm!" one of the lizards cackled.
The desperate snake saw Luo Zhen and made a beeline for him. "Brother Snake! Help me, please!" he gasped, skidding to a halt.
"You want my help?" Luo Zhen said, taken aback. "Do I know you?"
The yellow snake blinked, then desperation kicked in. "We're both snakes! We're the same kind! Please, you have to help me!"
But it was too late. The five lizards had already caught up, fanning out to encircle them both.
"Go on, run," the largest lizard sneered at the yellow snake, his eyes glinting with cruelty. "Doesn't matter where you go. You're dying today."
"Big brother's right! We're gonna kill him and carve out his gallbladder. I love snake gallbladder!" another one chimed in.
Then, a third lizard's eyes fell on Luo Zhen. "And look at this one!" he hissed, pointing a claw. "He's solid gold. Bet his gallbladder tastes even better!"
The temperature around Luo Zhen dropped by several degrees.
He scanned the circle of predators, his voice pure ice. "Gentlemen, I don't know you, and I have no interest in your business. I'll be leaving now."
He turned to go.
Immediately, one of the lizards moved to block his path. "Leaving?" he sneered. "Did we say you could leave?"
"What do you want?" Luo Zhen asked, anger finally flaring in his voice.
"What do we want?" the lizard chuckled darkly. "Weren't you listening? We're going to eat your gallbladder."
That did it. Luo Zhen's patience snapped.
"Brother Snake, don't waste your breath arguing!" the yellow snake whispered frantically from his side. "These guys are famous for this! They're meat-crazed monsters who attack and eat any lone beast they find!"
"He's right!" the lead lizard boomed with laughter. "And today, the five of us are breaking our fast on you two! A roasted snake feast! Two fat, juicy snakes should be enough to feed us for days!"
He raised his claw.
"Brothers, get them!"
With a unified roar, the five lizards lunged.
Luo Zhen met their charge with an icy glare. He opened his mouth, and from the depths of his throat, a torrent of incandescent, bone-white fire erupted. The Skull Ghost Fire.