Chapter 562: Against The Demon

"Indeed," Yuan nodded, a proud grin forming on his face, fully aware of the power he wielded to slay the sinister creature before him. "And to defeat you, I need to get closer."

"Hahaha! You're an amusing human! Normally, people tremble in fear at the mere mention of a 'Demon,' and when they see one, they run for their lives." The demon laughed loudly, an amused look spreading across its creepy face.

"I've even seen some soil themselves while fleeing—that was the most entertaining sight!"

After a moment of laughter, the demon abruptly stopped, narrowing its eyes at Yuan with a vicious grin. "All jokes aside, do you really think you can defeat me with that weak attack from earlier? You couldn't even kill me despite decapitating my head. This is why I despise humans more than any other race."

The demon glared at Yuan with clear disdain.

Yuan remained silent, fully aware that the demon was trying to intimidate him. Calmly, he continued approaching the demon, his expression steady and unfazed.

Sensing this, the demon felt an unfamiliar and unsettling sense of danger. It unconsciously took a few steps back. "Very well. I commend your bravery, human, though it's foolish in my—"

Before the demon could finish, Yuan dashed forward, appearing in front of the creature with his sword, Empyreal Oblivion, raised high in the sky.

"One Sword, One Strike!"

Despite the powerful aura emanating from Empyreal Oblivion, the demon remained standing, grinning smugly with its arms crossed. It was confident that such an attack couldn't harm it. Even if decapitated again, the demon knew its head would regenerate in mere seconds. After all, it was a demon—an immortal being, impervious to ordinary attacks.

BOOM!

The *Empyreal Oblivion* cleaved the demon in two from head to toe, slicing through its body as easily as cutting through butter.

Plop! The demon collapsed to the ground once again, its blood staining the earth a dark red.

However, only a few seconds later, the demon's regenerative powers kicked in. Its body melted into a puddle of blood before reforming, with the demon's head emerging first, followed by the rest of its body. It returned to its original state, completely unharmed.

Yuan, Xi Meili, and Fang Xiaoyan stared in shock at the strange sight, watching the demon regenerate without a single injury.

"Hahaha! Even after all my warnings, you keep making the same mistake! Truly pathetic and stupid!" The demon sneered, an arrogant grin on its face. "Even if you strike me a thousand times, it won't be enough to defeat me!"

"Empyreal Severing Sword Strike!"

Without wasting a second, Yuan unleashed his strongest technique. A massive beam of energy, infused with his Sword Aura, shot toward the demon, making the attack ten times more powerful, faster, and more destructive.

This time, the demon didn't stand idly by. Sensing the dreadful power of the Empyreal Severing Sword Strike, it dodged to the side, but not quickly enough. The attack was too fast, and although it avoided most of it, the beam obliterated half of the demon's body, leaving it trembling in fear.

Fang Xiaoyan's eyes widened as she noticed the demon retreating, panic clearly visible in its expression.

She couldn't help but wonder: If the demon hadn't dodged in time, would it have been completely obliterated? Or would it have regenerated as before?

"That's right, hubby! Teach that ugly thing a lesson for being so arrogant!" Xi Meili shouted with a huge grin on her face.

Yuan glanced back at Xi Meili. "Leave everything to me. I was just testing the rumors about demons. It seems they can't be killed with normal attacks."

"Who do you think you are to test my abilities, human? You're nothing but livestock for us—demons! This is unforgivable. I'll make you pay for this!" The demon roared, a disdainful look twisting its grotesque features.

"Empyreal Severing Sword Strike!"

Yuan swung his sword once, and with a single powerful motion, he obliterated every dagger hurled at him. The attack was so potent that it cut through the demon, slicing its body in half once again.

Just as before, the demon's body reformed in an instant, but this time, its expression betrayed panic, fear flickering in its eyes.

'What is with this human? How can he dodge my attacks so easily and still manage to damage me?' the demon wondered, visibly shaken.

Frustrated by its failure, the demon conjured hundreds of blood daggers and launched them all at once in a desperate attempt to overwhelm Yuan.

Swish!

Yuan, with smooth and graceful movements, evaded each dagger effortlessly, leaving the demon in disbelief. For the first time, it encountered a human who could push it to such a state. The sheer frustration gnawed at the demon's pride.

Suddenly, the demon entered a berserk rage, attacking furiously, clawing and swinging relentlessly.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Yuan parried the onslaught with ease using Empyreal Oblivion. Then, with a swift motion, he lifted his leg and kicked the demon square in the face, sending it flying several meters.

From a distance, Fang Xiaoyan and Xi Meili observed the fierce battle, puzzled as to why Yuan hadn't yet used the demon-slaying technique to finish the fight.

"Heavenly Sanctuary!"

Yuan activated his domain technique, immediately restricting the demon's movements. A mysterious pressure filled the area, causing the demon's body to slow in shock.

"This is your end, demon," Yuan said, his voice calm and resolute.

"Demon Slaying Slash!"

Yuan stabbed *Empyreal Oblivion* into the demon's chest, the sword emanating an ancient and profound aura. His focus was on the demon, unaware of the ancient golden symbols appearing on the blade.

"Huh?"

At first, the demon felt no pain—only a slight numbness where the sword pierced. It looked down and saw the massive sword embedded in its chest.

"Do you think stabbing me in the chest will kill me? Hahaha! You really are—" The demon stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was wrong. Its body was stiffening, the wound turning to stone before crumbling like sand.

Panic filled the demon's expression as it watched its body slowly turning to stone and disintegrating into dust. Confusion and terror overtook it.

"W-What have you done to me? What did you do to me, human?!" the demon roared in desperation.

"Oh, I just found a technique inside the pagoda and thought I'd test it on you," Yuan replied with a smirk.

"W-What... What kind of technique...?"

Yuan's smirk widened. "A demon-slaying technique, of course."