Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Dragon’s Roar, Demonic Aura Unleashed

Mo Bufan gripped the Talisman of Swift Travel tightly, ready to leave this place at any moment. He forced himself not to look at the terrified, despairing faces of those around him, afraid that a surge of compassion would drive him to try and save them again—only to lose himself in the process. In his heart, he vowed, “Once I escape this cursed place, I will come back and avenge you all, cleanse this land of evil.”

Finally, as the four great demons were about to shatter the defense of the Heaven and Earth Plate and Mo Bufan was about to activate his talisman, a deafening dragon’s roar burst forth from the Ancestral Dragon Immortal Palace. The roar was powerful and ancient, filling the entire Abyss of Fallen Dragons in an instant. Within its terrifying sonic waves was the profound force of heaven and earth, and in a flash, the weaker demons were torn apart under the assault of that sound.

The four giant demons who had been relentlessly attacking Mo Bufan’s defenses were also struck by the sonic wave. They threw their heads back, roaring furiously, completely forgetting about attacking the Heaven and Earth Plate. Yet the dragon’s roar did not affect the beasts and cultivators in the Abyss at all; those who remained instantly found a chance to breathe.

As the dragon’s cry spread through the abyss, four powerful voices rose from the four guardian temples, their tones suppressing all the demons’ attacks. The demons howled in response, enraged and defiant. At the same time, brilliant rays of light erupted from the Ancestral Dragon Immortal Palace, flooding outward like a tidal wave. Everywhere the light touched, the demonic miasma retreated, replaced by a breath of boundless vitality.

Wherever the radiance flowed, thousands of lustrous, light-shrouded skeletons crawled from beneath the earth, raising their weapons and howling toward the sky. They charged into the demonic ranks without hesitation. Clearly, these were the heroic souls of those who had fallen in the Celestial War tens of thousands of years ago, summoned now by the Ancestral Dragon. Even though only their skeletons remained, they marched forward to battle the demons without fear.

A battle beyond life and death—one of faith alone—erupted between good and evil, immortals and demons.

Within the Hall of Wind, a giant over ten zhang tall rose from a pool of blood. A massive, blood-red wound gaped in his chest, his heart long since vanished, half his body reduced to shimmering bone. Yet his single eye burned with undying will. Gripping a spear as long as himself, he charged straight toward the four giant demons besieging Mo Bufan and the others.

In the Hall of Rain, a burly man clad in scales and with an eagle’s wings and hooked nose climbed from the ruins. He tore off a severed wing without hesitation, his powerful hands morphing into talons as he let out a long cry and leapt into the fray.

In the twin Halls of Thunder and Lightning, two golden five-clawed dragons, their bodies battered and incomplete, roared as they rose into the air and launched themselves at the four giant demons.

This was a battle fought without the aid of magic—just flesh and bone, steel and will. The one-eyed giant drove his spear through a demon’s chest, and as the demon seized the silver weapon, the giant lunged, gripping one of the demon’s horns and tearing away half its skull. Black blood gushed forth, even as the giant’s own abdomen was pierced by the demon’s claws, leaving a ghastly wound.

The one-winged man drove both hands into a demon’s eyes, ripping as he went, even as the demon’s horns impaled his chest.

The two golden dragons coiled around their foes, jaws clamping onto vital points, while the demons fought back with equal ferocity, wrestling the dragons in a desperate melee.

There were no screams, only roars of fury. No retreat, only recklessness. No magic, only blood and raw battle.

It seemed as if time had turned back to the Celestial-Demon War of a hundred thousand years ago. Though the grandeur and earth-shaking might of that age were gone, the determination and courage remained undiminished. This was the immortal realm’s fighting spirit—the undying soul of warriors who never yielded.

Mo Bufan and the others were stunned, forgetting even that they were now safe. Only when the beast descendants of the celestial realm charged into the battle, standing shoulder to shoulder with the cultivators who had once raised their ancestors, did the onlookers finally awaken from their stupor.

Yet instead of joining the slaughter, as if they had forgotten the urge to fight, the survivors instinctively withdrew to the foot of the Ancestral Dragon Palace, watching the tragic and heroic battle unfold.

At that moment, above the palace, a dragon soul over a hundred zhang long roared forth, scattering the demons with its presence. Immortal light surged out, and ancient airs of the celestial way resonated across the Fallen Dragon Abyss for tens of thousands of miles, suppressing the demonic miasma at once.

The instant the great dragon appeared, Long Ao and his companions dropped to their knees before the Ancestral Dragon, their faces alight with emotion. Yet the Ancestral Dragon’s soul paid no heed to its three descendants, fixing its gaze on Mo Bufan instead. The dragon’s voice echoed, deep and resonant: “A hundred thousand years have passed, and at last, you have appeared…”

Mo Bufan was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what the Ancestral Dragon meant, but now was hardly the time to ask. All he could do was offer a foolish bow to the great dragon.

The dragon, however, had no time for him, roaring as it charged once more at the Ancestral Dragon Palace. Its enormous body seemed poised to crash into the immortal palace itself.

But just as the dragon’s soul was about to strike the palace, a figure in black—less than two meters tall—leapt from within. Wielding a Soul-Refining Banner and radiating a surge of demonic energy, the figure’s voice thundered as the banner swept through the air. Instantly, the wails of ten thousand ghosts converged into a colossal skeletal form, which met the dragon soul head-on.

With a thunderous crash, the dragon soul scattered thousands of ghosts, but even more latched onto its body. The vengeful spirits howled, their jaws gaping as they began to bite into the dragon soul.

The great dragon paid no heed to the gnawing ghosts, roaring as it lunged at the black-robed figure again. The figure bellowed, fearless, and thrust out a palm. In an instant, a massive shield of energy—dozens of zhang across—materialized before the dragon, halting the soul’s charge.

With a resounding boom, the dragon soul crashed into the shield, shattering it to pieces. Both dragon and black-robed figure were forced back several steps.

Yet immediately, the two hurled themselves at each other again. The dragon opened its jaws wide, biting down on the black-robed figure, who made no attempt to dodge and was swallowed whole.

As the figure vanished into the dragon’s maw, the dragon’s roar grew even more agonized, its body writhing violently in midair.

For a full quarter of an hour, the dragon’s contortions gradually subsided. Its form grew smaller, until at last it returned to the Ancestral Dragon Palace.

By now, the onlookers were utterly dazed, unable to tell who had won or lost.

Looking around the battlefield outside the palace, the fighting was drawing to a close. All around lay severed limbs and shattered bones—a scene of utter devastation.

The demons had not triumphed, but neither had the heroic souls of the celestial realm. In the end, both sides had perished together. The demon miasma and the celestial aura of the cultivators dissipated into the wind, and in an instant, all was calm once more.

Mo Bufan and the others stared blankly at the battlefield, at a loss for words.

Just then, a mighty surge of energy rose from the Ancestral Dragon Palace, sweeping toward Mo Bufan and his companions. Before they could react, the force overtook them, their vision went black, and they lost consciousness…