Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Backlash

The Fourth Elder’s head fell to the ground, his face frozen with intense shock and horror. Until the moment of his death, he could not believe he would meet his end here.

After all, he was a Ninth-Layer powerhouse of the Divine Sea Realm, possessing considerable wealth and numerous treasures. Wasn’t capturing Su Han, who was merely at the Third Layer of the Divine Sea Realm, supposed to be effortless?

But Su Han was too terrifying. Not only did he possess the Ghostly Face Mask, which could temporarily boost his strength, but he also had the Demonized State. This state greatly enhanced the power of his physical body, turning him into a humanoid Evil Demon. With the Ghostly Face Mask and the Demonized State active simultaneously, Su Han’s strength could be considered invincible within the Divine Sea Realm.

The Fourth Elder was dead, but Su Han’s crisis was not over.

He was still in the Demonized State, his consciousness severely eroded. The frenzied urge to kill and destroy was like a maggot gnawing at his bones, following him relentlessly.

I want to kill. I want to tear everything apart. I want to destroy the entire world!

This thought grew stronger and more compelling, making his aura extremely unstable. He was on the verge of going berserk at any moment. His bloodshot eyes stared at the teahouse ahead, and with a fierce stomp, he shot forward, ready to slaughter everyone inside.

”Get out of me!”

Su Han’s body slammed to a halt, crashing hard into a wall and smashing a hole right through it. He began pounding his own head, desperately trying to keep himself lucid.

Devouring Heaven Demonic Art!

Su Han quickly circulated the Devouring Heaven Demonic Art, using its Demonic Qi to counter the power of the Black Blade. This time, however, it was as if he had unleashed a true Evil Demon. The power of the Black Blade was unwilling to be repelled so easily.

Thus, Su Han’s body became a battlefield where the Devouring Heaven Demonic Art waged war against the power of the Black Blade. Intense pain washed over him like a tidal wave, contorting his features and plunging him into an agony so profound he wished for death.

Someone’s coming!

Suddenly, Su Han sensed several powerful auras rapidly closing in. His expression changed instantly.

This is no place to linger!

Su Han reached out, pulling the Fourth Elder’s corpse into his Storage Ring. Enduring the pain of the two clashing Demonic Qis, he activated the Character Technique of Motion and quickly vanished from the alley.

Not long after Su Han left, three figures arrived swiftly. Seeing the gruesome signs of battle in the alley, their expressions turned grim.

Bending down, the Great Elder touched a bloodstain and quickly made his judgment. ”It’s the Fourth Elder’s aura. Some of this blood is his, too.”

The Third Elder deduced from the lingering energy fluctuations that the Fourth Elder was dead. ”He must have encountered an enemy and engaged in a fierce battle. He was ultimately defeated and killed, and even his body was taken away.”

Previously, whenever Su Han had acted, he would use the Devouring Heaven Demonic Art to consume the bodies, leaving not even a trace of blood. This was why those cases had been classified as disappearances. This time, however, Su Han had no time to clean up the aftermath, allowing the members of the Qin Family to recognize the signs of a violent struggle at a glance.

”Pursue him!” Qin Xiong’s expression darkened as he gave chase, following the residual aura in the air.

But they were soon disappointed. The aura vanished after leaving the alley, and even after they spread out to search, they found nothing.

In the Qin Family’s main hall, Qin Xiong and the three Elders gathered once again.

”The Fourth Elder is dead!” Qin Xiong’s face was grim, his eyes filled with a heavy gloom.

Previously, it was the younger disciples of the Qin Family who had disappeared. This time, even an Elder had been killed. It was outrageous and deeply alarming.

”Judging by the signs of battle at the scene, the fight was extremely intense. This indicates that while the enemy is strong, they aren’t overwhelmingly so. Their strength is likely also around the Ninth Layer of the Divine Sea Realm.”

”This eliminates the Ninth Prince as a suspect. If the Ninth Prince had such strength, Qin Feng would likely be long dead. Furthermore, with his Heavenly Dragon Battle Body crippled, he couldn’t have recovered this much power so quickly.”

”Then, besides the Ninth Prince, who else would target our Qin Family?” The Great Elder’s brow furrowed, his confusion only growing.

They had previously considered Su Han a suspect, but the Fourth Elder’s death had dispelled their suspicions. After all, the idea of Su Han killing the Fourth Elder was pure fantasy.

”I don’t care who it is. Anyone who dares provoke my Qin Family, I will drag them out and make their life a living hell!” Qin Xiong snarled, his fury surging. He wished he could just slap this enemy to death.

But the trail of clues had gone cold. After tonight’s events, the culprit would surely be on guard. Luring them out again anytime soon would be extremely difficult.

”Seal off that alley and search it inch by inch. I refuse to believe there isn’t a single clue!”

Their only hope now lay in that alley. The traces of the battle were still there, not yet erased.

”Rest assured, Patriarch. I will personally guard the site and ensure no one disturbs the scene,” the Great Elder said solemnly before taking his leave.

Soon, the Second and Third Elders also departed, leaving Qin Xiong alone in the hall.

”How dare you provoke my Qin Family! No matter who you are, I will tear you to pieces!” Qin Xiong’s fists were clenched tight, his eyes blazing with rage.

...

At the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Tongyan learned of the incident almost immediately. A faint smile graced her delicate, doll-like face.

Seeing Tongyan’s smile, a curious Elder Kui asked, ”Miss, do you know who the killer is?” He knew her Origin Technique was the Qi Observation Technique, which allowed her to see the Destiny of all people and things in the world.

When the news had arrived tonight, Tongyan had climbed to a high vantage point to observe. He presumed she had caught a glimpse of the killer’s Destiny and could deduce their identity.

”I saw a streak of black and gold,” Tongyan answered, not hiding the truth from Elder Kui.

Black and gold?

Astonishment filled Elder Kui’s eyes. He recalled that, until now, there seemed to be only one person who possessed Destiny of that color.

Su Han, the Ninth Prince!

But how can that be? The Qin Family’s Fourth Elder was a powerhouse at the Ninth Layer of the Divine Sea Realm, while Su Han was only at the Second Layer when he visited the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. A gap of seven minor realms is like a chasm between heaven and earth, nearly insurmountable. Moreover, with his life-and-death duel against Qin Feng just around the corner, why would he abandon his training at home to go out and kill someone? Isn’t that just asking for death?

Elder Kui was a man of high status and had seen countless geniuses, but he had never met one as audacious as Su Han. Still, he would not doubt Tongyan. Her Qi Observation Technique was unparalleled, and she wouldn’t deceive him over such a small matter.

”I never imagined this minor Tianqing Dynasty would hide such an intriguing character,” Tongyan chuckled softly, retracting her gaze. Her interest in Su Han had grown even greater.

Her Qi Observation Technique could only see Destiny, not the specifics of a battle. A Second-Layer Divine Sea Realm cultivator killing a Ninth-Layer one... She was genuinely curious as to how Su Han had managed it.

There are only four days left until the life-and-death duel. I hope that Qin Feng can prove more of a challenge and force out more of Su Han’s trump cards!

Tongyan was thoroughly intrigued by Su Han.

Su Han, however, was oblivious to the reactions of the Qin Family and Tongyan. He had returned to the Lu Family residence and headed straight for his room. The moment he locked the door, a dreadful clash of Demonic Qi erupted within him, causing him to collapse to the floor, writhing in an agony worse than death.