Chapter 119: The Rush


    Han Ming was surrounded by the demon army, with both the demon soul and Xiao Jian, the larva of the Destruction Butterfly, fighting alongside him.


    Standing atop a mountain of rotting bones, Han Ming frantically hacked away at the endless tide of demon soldiers.


    "Come on! Come on!! Hahaha, I’m not losing out! Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a profit!"


    Han Ming laughed maniacally, deflecting a spear hurled at him with his axe before leaping down from the pile of corpses.


    His body was riddled with deep, bone-exposing wounds, blood pouring out relentlessly. He had no time to heal himself.


    All he could do was kill! Kill! Kill!


    The slaughter was endless.


    Han Ming’s vision was consumed by nothing but bloodshed.


    "Kill all these bastards!" Han Ming’s mind was slipping, his only thought to swing his weapons relentlessly.


    The demon soul was also being struck repeatedly by the demon soldiers, its form growing more ethereal. The magic energy Han Ming provided was becoming intermittent.


    Xiao Jian, however, remained unscathed. It was ecstatic. The life force of these demon soldiers was entirely different from that of humans—it was a form of death energy.


    While not as nourishing as human life force, it still provided Xiao Jian with the energy it needed.


    After all, the Destruction Butterfly was a terrifying creature native to the demon realm.


    Han Ming was lost in a bloodlust, his eyes bloodshot, his body covered in wounds with barely an inch of unbroken skin.


    *Boom!!*


    A loud crash echoed from behind Han Ming.


    "Cough... cough... No! Flying demon soldiers!"


    Han Ming turned to see the wind-attributed elder, who had tried to escape, now lying on the ground.


    "What’s going on!?" Han Ming felt a wave of despair.


    He had been ready to die, to sacrifice himself in this endless sea of demon soldiers, knowing that someone had gone to warn the human world. He had held onto that hope.


    But now, that hope was shattered. Han Ming felt a deep sense of helplessness.


    His swings grew slower.


    "Is there any point? What’s the use of killing more? Can we really wipe out this army of over a hundred thousand demon soldiers?"


    Han Ming’s eyes grew hollow. The last shred of hope that had kept him going was gone.


    In the sky, several flying demon soldiers with human bodies and bat wings circled down, surrounding Han Ming.


    It was these creatures that had intercepted the elder as he tried to climb the cliff.


    "Kid! Catch!"


    The elder threw something at Han Ming.


    Han Ming instinctively caught it, then swung his axe to cleave through a demon soldier in front of him. He glanced at what he had caught.


    It was a small, round red pill, exuding a refreshing fragrance. It looked miraculous.


    "Go. I’ll hold them off. With that weapon of yours, the flying demons can’t stop you. Leave this to me."


    The elder’s eyes flashed with determination.


    Han Ming turned to look at the elder, who was smiling faintly at him.


    "Go."


    The elder smiled as he spoke. At the same time, a surge of wind-attributed battle energy erupted from his body, shredding all nearby demon soldiers into pieces.


    He was burning his life force! He was going to self-destruct!


    Han Ming’s pupils contracted. He immediately understood the elder’s plan.


    The elder nodded slightly at Han Ming, saying nothing more.


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    Han Ming sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. He swung his axe, forcing the demon soldiers back, and grabbed the half-eaten corpse of the Crimson Flame Eagle. With a powerful leap, he jumped dozens of meters into the air, his hands clawing into the cliff face.


    He looked down to see the elder exhale deeply, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.


    "Kid, I’ll give you one last push!" The elder unleashed all his remaining battle energy.


    A giant wind-attributed spider emerged from his body, its four- to five-meter-long legs stabbing into the demon soldiers. The legs pierced through the soldiers, flinging them far away. Yet, even with gaping holes in their chests, the soldiers got back up and charged again.


    *BOOM!!!*


    A deafening explosion erupted as the elder’s battle energy detonated. Countless wind blades scattered in all directions, shredding hundreds of third-tier demon soldiers into pieces.


    The self-destruction of a fourth-tier War Soul was a sight Han Ming had never witnessed before. The massive blast of wind sent Han Ming hurtling into the sky.


    His body shot upward like a shadow, pursued by four or five flying demon soldiers.


    Han Ming tied the Crimson Flame Eagle’s corpse securely to his back. After ascending nearly a hundred meters, he grabbed onto the cliff face and began climbing rapidly.


    The flying demon soldiers followed, spitting black, pus-filled spikes at him. Han Ming climbed with one hand while using his axe to deflect the spikes. The spikes flew past, embedding into the cliff and dissolving the rock with a sizzling sound.


    Seeing that Han Ming’s weapon could block their spikes, the flying demons abandoned ranged attacks and closed in.


    The demons let out piercing shrieks, creating sonic waves that shook the cliff, causing rocks to tumble. They extended their sharp claws, aiming for Han Ming.


    The sonic waves made Han Ming’s chest tighten, and he felt a metallic taste in his mouth. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the cliff face.


    He swung his axe to drive the demons back and continued climbing.


    The flying demons, realizing Han Ming couldn’t withstand their sonic attacks, opened their mouths wide and let out ear-splitting wails.


    Han Ming’s head throbbed with intense pain, and his vision blurred.


    "Grab those bastards for me!!"


    Han Ming roared in anger.


    The demon soul emerged from his body, shooting out dozens of silver threads that ensnared one of the flying demons.


    The flying demon, also a third-tier soldier, wasn’t particularly strong and was easily captured. The demon soul yanked it toward Han Ming.


    Han Ming swung his axe, cleaving the demon in two.


    "Again!" Han Ming shouted as he climbed rapidly.


    "How deep is this damn place? I’ve already climbed a hundred meters, and there’s still no end in sight."


    He killed another flying demon the demon soul dragged to him.


    A thick black mist appeared above Han Ming.


    Uncertain what it was, Han Ming quickly cast an ice shield and sped up his climb.


    The ice shield began to dissolve upon contact with the black mist, forcing Han Ming to replenish its energy.


    "Why didn’t I encounter this mist on the way down?" Han Ming muttered in frustration.


    Fortunately, the mist wasn’t too thick. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Han Ming emerged from the mist into the light of the setting sun.


    The crimson sunset bathed Han Ming as he looked up to see the edge of the Ghost Domain pit within reach. Behind him, the demon soldiers were nowhere to be seen, and the flying demons had all been killed.


    When he was just a dozen meters from the top, Han Ming thrust his feet into a crevice in the cliff and leaped, landing safely on solid ground.


    As he looked at the sea of flames before him, Han Ming felt as if he had crossed into another world.


    "All the materials are ready, and I have the Crimson Flame Eagle’s corpse. Next, I need to head to the Desolate Ice Plains to find the Profound Sky Ice Silkworm."


    Han Ming murmured to himself, closing his eyes to sense the tracking mark on the ice silkworm.


    Fortunately, though the mark had faded, it was still detectable.


    "You! You’re here! Give me back my son’s life!!" A figure charged at Han Ming, pausing momentarily before erupting in rage.


    Han Ming recognized the man as Mo Tianqi, whose child had been killed by the demon soul. A bitter taste filled Han Ming’s mouth.


    "Move! There’s an army of nearly 200,000 demon soldiers below. At the rate they’re gathering, they’ll have a million troops in half a year. The Northern Alliance will be finished," Han Ming said grimly.


    Mo Tianqi’s eyes widened in disbelief, then he burst into maniacal laughter.


    "If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable! Everyone knows the demon realm is sealed by the dragons and elves. How could they break through? No matter what you say, I won’t let you go this time. Prepare to die!!"


    Mo Tianqi, completely ignoring Han Ming’s explanation, charged at him, thrilled to see Han Ming heavily injured.


    Han Ming, unwilling to engage, dodged past Mo Tianqi.


    "Where do you think you’re going!?" Mo Tianqi roared, slashing at Han Ming.


    Han Ming took the blow to his back, spitting blood but refusing to stop.


    He swallowed the pill the elder had given him.


    Instantly, a surge of energy filled his body. A gust of wind formed beneath his feet, quickly turning into two small cyclones.


    Han Ming felt his body grow light as the cyclones propelled him forward, leaving Mo Tianqi far behind.


    The scenery blurred as Han Ming raced past. Several groups of pursuers spotted him and gave chase, but Han Ming’s speed was unmatched. He left them in the dust.


    A day later, Han Ming let out a long cry as he burst out of the Desolate Flame Prison, landing firmly on the ground of the Desolate Storm. The cyclones beneath his feet dissipated.


    "It’s him! The kid’s out!"


    The hundreds of people waiting at the edge of the Desolate Flame Prison immediately charged at Han Ming.


    Han Ming turned and ran, his body swaying unsteadily. The severe blood loss and untreated wounds were taking their toll.


    He had no time to tend to his injuries.


    As the pursuers closed in, Han Ming felt helpless.


    In the distance, a graceful figure approached.


    "Hehe, friend Han Er, we meet again."


    "You... who are you...?" Han Ming stared at the stunning woman, struggling to recognize her.


    The woman chuckled. "Are all these people chasing you? You really know how to stir up trouble."


    This woman was none other than the transformed demoness, also known as Kulo, whom Han Ming had met before. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she had altered her appearance and aura. Han Ming didn’t recognize her, and with Catherine’s help through the Ring of Residence, his aura had also changed. To the demoness, Han Ming was simply Han Er.


    Han Ming stared at the woman, his heart racing.


    Her strength was unfathomable. Though she had concealed her power, Han Ming felt an overwhelming pressure. Even the master of Gurgleburg paled in comparison. If he had to guess, her strength was at least on par with Vajra’s.


    What Han Ming didn’t know was that this demoness was the top disciple of Li Xiaotian, the greatest expert across the Huangtian and Northern Alliance continents. She had even managed to ambush Li Xiaotian, a feat that spoke volumes about her power.