A Demon's Path Chapter 103

As a comforting and understanding smile showed on Ling Xiao's face, Zheng Hao's image gradually blurred into nothingness. He let out a long sigh. He resolved this matter so quickly, it was no wonder Li Yuanchong insisted on roping him into this.

Ling Xiao started wondering what kind of scenarios the other three were in. An incredulous thought floated into his mind. Why don't I go over to where they are and take a look? After all, everyone is having an out-of-body experience. As long as my mental strength is slightly stronger than theirs, I should be able to invade their consciousness unimpeded!

Even Ling Xiao was taken aback by the insane thoughts drifting through his mind. "Let's give it a try!" He looked up at the sky. There, high up above him, were three layers of light film resembling mirrors. Each of these mirrors revealed the experiences one of the other three were currently experiencing.

Ling Xiao lightly jumped up in an attempt to charge into the mirror where Yue Mingming was at. Hmmmmmm! The layer of light film bounced him off. Only then did he recall Li Yuanchong's words. Each of the four of them had to succeed in this Heavenly-Spiritual Empowerment Array for their plan to succeed. If even one of them didn't, it would all be for naught.

Since he couldn't rush in, Ling Xiao decided to sit back and watch the others resolve the problem they were faced with. Looking through one mirror, he saw Li Yuanchong fighting a vast sea of Undead with his pike.

"Hao, don't be afraid! They can't harm me!" Li Yuanchong let his pike dance, forming a circle of light around Zheng Hao and himself. None of the Undead could pass through the light barrier. They couldn't get close to them at all.

Zheng Hao was covered in injuries from head to toe. A look of grief and indignation filled his face. "No! I'm not weaker than you! I don't need you to protect me!" He pounced at the Undead and madly smashed at them with his metal fists.

"No!" Li Yuanchong shouted.

But how could Zheng Hao be willing to listen to him? Even if his body was littered with gashes and cuts, he would stake his life on killing every last Undead! The more Li Yuanchong helped, the faster he charged in. No one knew just where his physical strength came from, but somehow he hadn't yet died of exhaustion. In the same fashion, the Undead didn't tire either. When ten Undead fell, another ten rose, and so on and so on. If it continued on like this, they wouldn't finish fighting even if the sky and earth turned upside down, and if the seas ran dry and the stones went soft.

A dim sorrow arose from the depths of Li Yuanchong's heart. He didn't understand why Zheng Hao was being so stubborn.

Ling Xiao who was spectating the scene started to abusively scold Li Yuanchong in anger, "Isn't this that boy's inner demons? Li Yuanchong, how can you still not understand what's going on? No matter how much you help him, it's of no use. What he needs is your recognition, not your help!"

Li Yuanchong seemed to have felt Ling Xiao's shout because his eyes started shining as he shouted, "Hao, no matter when or where, you'll always be my rival! That's how I feel in my heart! But you'll only gain the right to challenge me if you live on!"

"Really?" The bloody light of the moon dissipated all of a sudden and the Undead around them disappeared without a trace. Zheng Hao walked to Li Yuanchong's side and earnestly looked him in the eyes. "Do you mean it? From the bottom of your heart?"

Li Yuanchong firmly nodded. "Without a Crazy Rat like you as my opponent, I definitely wouldn't improve as quickly as I am now. Even though you've never been as strong as me, it's not because of you. My grandfather planted Soul Strengthening Seeds in our bodies when we were still small children. That's why the disciples of Heavenly River City cultivate faster than others."

"Soul Strengthening Seeds? What kind of toy are those?" Ling Xiao mumbled to himself. It never crossed Li Yuanchong's mind that someone might be eavesdropping on him right now. He only meant to tell this secret to Zheng Hao.

A faint smile finally formed on Zheng Hao's face. "Yuanchong, thank you for telling me such an important secret. I believe you." His figure turned into countless granules of light, slowly disappearing before Li Yuanchong's eyes.

Li Yuanchong looked at his surroundings. He was still on the plains outside Seadragon City. A look of faint disappointment showed on his face. "It seems like they're not done yet."

Through the mirror, Ling Xiao realised Li Yuanchong wasn't looking anywhere specific, but rather he was sitting on the ground in a daze. A shocking speculation formed in his mind. Could it be that while I can see what's going on over on their end, they can't see what's going on between them? Why is that so? He ferociously shook his head. Since he couldn't understand it, he wouldn't think on it. He turned his gaze over to Yang Chao's trial.

The scene was the same. Zheng Hao was one of the main protagonists, with the other being Yang Chao. The Undead were pursuing them, separating the duo far apart. Yang Chao seemed to be immersed in the act. He was drenched in sweat from head to toe from all the killing.

Zheng Hao didn't know he was trapped in a Nightmare. It was all real to him as he dauntlessly slaughtered the enemy.

Yang Chao did all he could to clear a path toward Zheng Hao. But to his despair, he realised that no matter how many Undead he killed, there was still a distance separating Zheng Hao and him. It was clear as day that Zheng Hao was quickly nearing his end. "Hao, don't lose hope! Hang on!" Yang Chao roared over the surging waves of Undead.

Zheng Hao held on for a moment before he weakly collapsed into the pile of Undead. He gave up, letting them tear at his body with their teeth.  

"Dammit!" Yang Chao was seething in anger. He rushed to Zheng Hao's side as he brandished his dual whips. After helping Zheng Hao up, he roared, "You damned- Aaahhhhhh!" A piercing pain coursed through his body. He knew the Undead had attacked him.

"You… you came… to my rescue," Zheng Hao gasped on his deathbed. "We're the best of friends… Together we live… Together we die…"

Yang Chao tightly hugged Zheng Hao, protecting him with his body. Countless sharp claws mutilated his body, but he shielded Zheng Hao without budging an inch, even in the face of death. "My good friend, my good brother… Together we live, and together we die," Yang Chao spoke with much difficulty as his consciousness gradually blurred.

Ling Xiao lightly sighed. As it turned out, Zheng Hao blamed Yang Chao for not rushing to his aid in time. Luckily, it seemed as though Yang Chao passed this round.

Sure enough, Yang Chao's consciousness cleared. Zheng Hao who he had shielded with his own body gradually became blurry. "Yang Chao, thank you. My good friend, my good brother…" Their surroundings turned bright. The moonlight was still as tranquil as before, as though nothing had happened. Yang Chao looked all around in a daze. That's all? It doesn't seem like I did anything at all!

The final trial was naturally Yue Mingming's. He was in the same scene as the other two. Zheng Hao threw him out of the encirclement at the cost of his own life. It was exactly as it had happened that day, a week or two ago. But what happened next was the complete opposite. Yue Mingming didn't leave. He staked his life too and charged back in to fight with Zheng Hao, shoulder to shoulder! "Hao, I abandoned you once, and that was once too many! I'll never leave you behind again!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Zheng Hao's eyes were wide with anger. "Yue Mingming, scram!"

Yue Mingming ignored Zheng Hao. He was determined to face the endless assault of Undead together with his brother!

"Shit! Yue Mingming's inner demons are attacking him!" Ling Xiao hatefully cursed. "There are two dunces here and Yue Mingming is the greater of the two!" Zheng Hao wanted to save you so he let you go! You motherfucker! You're treating his good intentions as bubbles! Do you think he won't go crazy?

It was taking a turn for the worse now. Zheng Hao was originally the only one who had gone mad, but now Yue Mingming was added to the mix. Buzzzz! Buzzzz! Buzzzz! The space they were at started to shake slightly.

The complexions on Ling Xiao, Li Yuanchong, and Yang Chao's faces changed at the same time. They could all feel it. It seemed as though their operation was going to fail!

Seeing as Yue Mingming's figure was gradually turning dimmer and the trembling more intense, Ling Xiao understood they were all about to be buried together. It was only a matter of time until Yue Mingming completely disappeared.

"I'm not worried if I have wolf-like enemies. No, what I'm afraid of are pig-like allies! Yue Mingming, you pig! You're about to be the death of me!" Ling Xiao rained curses on Yue Mingming. In a moment of desperation, he recklessly charged over to Yue Mingming's mirror. It was as though a stone had dropped into water. After Ling Xiao smashed into the layer of light film, creating ripples on its surface, he disappeared from his original space.

The moment Yue Mingming thought he was going to die, he heard an explosive roar from the sky. "Yue Mingming and Zheng Hao! You two stupid swines! Wake up!" Ling Xiao screamed right in their faces, causing them to feel enlightened with perfect wisdom. Their minds turned clear in the same moment. They were at a loss as they watched Ling Xiao descend from the sky.

The more Ling Xiao thought about it, the angrier he became. He roared out at the two of them, "You two idiots! Do you think this is a good display of your code of brotherhood? If you two died here together, other than leaving a false reputation behind, what else can you leave behind in this world? Yue Mingming, you disregarded Zheng Hao's good intentions. You are the biggest idiot in a bunch of morons!" This wasn't yet enough to dispel Ling Xiao's anger. He continued bellowing, "Yue Mingming, if you really want to compensate for something, live an honest live and save the last portion of Zheng Hao's life! Don't go using the life Zheng Hao gave you to die! No matter when, there's only hope if you live! Do you two idiots understand?!"

Chapter end