Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 276: Chapter 276. Enemies Working Together

Amon’s take on what was happening was that Yon Yu was learning how to use her unique power. She was synchronizing with the Pledge Demon at a rapid rate, as evidenced by the Pledge Demon illusions that were chasing them. These illusions were slow at the start but became faster as time passed.

Amon and the others could easily dodge these illusions’ assaults. Xian Yang lost one arm because of his conceit. If he actively evaded the illusion, he wouldn’t have been wounded. However, that was before. Currently, they were using their movement arts non-stop, but they were starting to have trouble evading the illusions. These illusions were catching up to them.

At this rate, Yon Yu could gain more power. She might control everything within her domain. Even if they chose to flee, they wouldn’t exit this village quickly enough before Yon Yu reached that pinnacle of power. She could trap them in an even stronger illusion and prevent them from fleeing.

Analyzing all this, Amon concluded their only option was to take out Yon Yu. It was either that or their demise. That’s why he didn’t flee. Not because he was brave or anything, but because it was the logical choice based on his assessment.

To achieve the goal of taking Yon Yu out, he could think of two options. Both required him to get close to her.

He turned to Xian Yang and yelled, ”Xian Yang! Do you have a strong penetrative art?”

Xian Yang turned to Amon. He didn’t answer. He just gave Amon a defiant look. Amon interpreted the look as a yes to his question.

”We must finish the girl, or we are all dead!” Amon yelled. ”Let’s attack from two sides. Now!”

Amon then turned to Tuang Yin, who was nearby. He said, ”Yin, give me a boost!”

He jumped. As he did, Tuang Yin’s two flaming hands retracted. When Amon fell from the sky toward her, she shoved her two hands forward. Amon kicked her pushing hands. Tuang Yin’s push, added to the pressure from the condensed heat, resulted in an explosion when they collided with Amon’s feet.

He could feel the searing heat on his feet. Thanks to the Jue Body Suit covering his feet, they were not burned.

The force propelled Amon forward. He shot upward, passing the Pledge Demon illusion targeting him. He somersaulted in the air before landing behind the Pledge Demon illusion. He then dashed forward. The Pledge Demon illusion turned to chase him, but he had created a decent distance using that maneuver.

On the opposite side, Xian Yang was gliding in the air. His movement art was a step above everyone here. He effortlessly slid through the Pledge Demon illusion on his side and headed for Yon Yu.

The true Pledge Demon didn’t move. It was still using its body to cover Yon Yu. As long as Yon Yu was safe, it was too. Its illusions would slay these enemies. There was no need for it to move.

Xian Yang reached their target first. A swirling sand again formed around his sword. The intensity of the swirling sand was even greater than when he performed it before. He was dialing the power of his arcane art to the maximum. When he thrust, his hand was as if holding a solid drill made of moving sand.

This sand drill stabbed into the true Pledge Demon’s body. Amon planned to use a penetrating art strong enough to pierce through the Pledge Demon and hit Yon Yu. Yon Yu might be a cultivator, but she was only at the Mortal Stage. One strong hit from a Transformation Stage cultivator was enough to kill her.

However, while the sand drill did pierce the Pledge Demon’s body, it didn’t pierce all the way through. Its body was sturdier after Yon Yu’s awakening. Not to mention, it healed at a rapid rate. It was healing at the same time Xian Yang’s art was drilling. The constant regeneration of tissue pushed back against the advancing force of the sand drill.

”It can’t be...!” Xian Yang couldn’t believe what he saw. His fully-charge arcane art could easily pierce a Peak Transformation Stage cultivator. It could even wound a careless Mystic Stage cultivator, but it failed to do the job against this Pledge Demon.

”Fuck!” Amon cursed. Amon was just about to execute his Flame Lance, which was his art with the strongest penetrative ability. But if Xian Yang failed to achieve the feat, his wouldn’t either.

He could move next to Xian Yang and use his Flame Lance on the same spot Xiang Yang was attacking. That should do the trick, but he didn’t. Despite the situation, he believed Xian Yang would turn to attack him once he got nearby.

The Pledge Demon uttered another cry. This cry again blasted their minds. Xian Yang was staggered. The sand drill in his hand dispersed. At the same time, two more Pledge Demon illusions split from the true one. These two came for Amon and Xian Yang.

The mind blast hitting Amon caused him to pause, but his concentration didn’t waver. He pushed forward despite the massive headache, dodging the new Pledge Demon illusion that tried to grab him.

Xian Yang, on the other side, was not so fortunate. He lost his focus. During that interlude, the new Pledge Demon illusion grabbed his body. They started crushing and twisting. Xian Yang screamed in pain as several of his bones broke.

Amon reached the true Pledge Demon. He decided to proceed with using Flame Lance. The flame orb on his finger was flaring but with a tint of darkness. He had decided to go all out. He was drawing the combined aether from his mixed energy space.

Xian Yang was too occupied by his pain to notice. Amon glanced at Tuang Yin. She was still dodging the Pledge Demon Illusion but was also looking at him. Her eyes were wide in surprise.

Amon sighed within. He should have known. For good or bad, that girl always had her eyes on him. He guessed he had to let her go now.

He thrust his flame lance into the true Pledge Demon. The fiery lance burned through the Pledge Demon’s body like focused sunlight through paper. The Pledge Demon’s flesh melted as the flame worked its way deeper inside.

The mastery of his flame lance was now at the Master level. He could form the lance instantly. Its maximum length had increased to six feet. This length was enough to pierce the Pledge Demon’s breadth and hit Yon Yu.

When the flame lance almost pierced through, the Pledge Demon did something so simple it was unexpected. It stopped covering Yon Yu and instead pushed her slightly away. The flame lance extended until its maximum length, but Yon Yu was still a foot away.

Amon glanced at Xian Yang. The senior was on that side. Considering the Pledge Demon removed its cover, Yon Yu was exposed to him. However, Xian Yang was too absorbed in his agony. The pledge demon illusion wrapped over more parts of his body and broke more bones.

”Damn it!” Amon cursed. They missed the opportunity to slay Yon Yu even after he exposed his secret to Tuang Yin. They should have coordinated better and struck at the same time. But considering Xian Yang’s enmity to him, such coordination was impossible.

He felt something grabbing his arm and legs. He looked back and saw it was the Pledge Demon illusion. He felt the hands of this demon squeezing his arm and legs.

He gritted his teeth. ”It’s an illusion!” He screamed to himself.

He activated the Great Virulent Serpent and Hardened Bronze Body. Bronze scales covered his skin, increasing his defense. The Great Virulent Serpent made his body sturdier, increasing resistance against impact damage. Combined with the Jue Body Suit, which stopped most slashing and stabbing, he could be said to possess unnaturally high defense.

Amon knew that increasing his defense was useless since he was defending against an illusion. What he was doing was reinforcing his belief that he had high defense. By activating these defensive arts, he was influencing his mind through acts. This belief countered the belief induced by the Pledge Demon illusion.

Though this method worked to an extent, it didn’t completely nullify the illusion’s effects. He felt the grasp where the illusive hands were touching him start to tighten. He felt his bones beginning to crack.

Still gritting his teeth, he reached into his black space ring. His belief-countering method bought him a few seconds, but it was not indefinite. He resorted to going for the second option to dispose of Yon Yu, which he had thought earlier. He was more hesitant in using this second option compared to exposing his demonic power. This was because the second option required him to let go of one item that was the last of its kind.

A small rock appeared in his hand. The rock was the Plane Shift Stone he recovered during the excavation mission.

He channeled his aether into the stone. The store started to flare. He could sense the stone becoming unstable. He threw the stone at Yon Yu before it exploded.