Chapter Seventeen: The Fall of the City

The city was engulfed in flames. The sounds of fierce battle were unending, and the cries of agony dimmed even the brightness of the moon. Black mist rose everywhere, swirling and coiling in the air.

Beyond the city walls, rivers floated midair, each bearing countless water demons who clamored and battered at the barrier, hoping to break through and bathe the city in blood, feasting to their fill.

The Jiang family compound was already shrouded in black fog.

"Die, all of you!" Jiang Zhengde manipulated the demonic mist, shaping it into a colossal hand that blotted out the sky as it descended.

The palm was enormous, and though it moved with terrifying speed, in a blink it had already fallen overhead, bearing down with such oppressive force that even Jiang Fan could hardly move.

"Xiaoyue, protect them!" Jiang Zheng'an said quickly.

"Go without worry!" Tears welled in Nangong Yue's eyes, but she knew she must not become a burden at a moment like this—she had to let her husband leave with peace of mind.

Boom!

At that instant, a dreadful aura erupted from Jiang Zheng'an. Streams of true energy burst from his body, splitting his skin open so that blood seeped out. Even his face was marked by bloody fissures.

He slashed the sky with his blade, shattering the giant hand, and soared into the air, charging toward the black demon pillar.

"Father!" Jiang Fan clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. He knew what his father's current state meant—clearly, he had invoked a secret technique.

"Third Brother, you've barely broken through and already you resort to self-destructive methods. Even if you escape, you'll be gravely wounded if not killed!" Jiang Zhengde sneered. "You'd be better off letting me finish you now and save yourself the torment!"

"If I must die, I'll take you with me!" Jiang Zheng'an's voice rang with resolve.

The two clashed in midair. Backed by the demon pillar, Jiang Zhengde's power was overwhelming. Layer upon layer, his strength had reached the pinnacle of the Dao-Entering Realm.

Jiang Zheng'an was struck by a palm and sent flying.

"Go!" he roared, spitting blood and not looking back.

"Alright!" Nangong Yue's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. Even the shield of true energy she sustained wavered, the black mist threatening to seep in.

"I'll clear the way—follow me closely!" Nangong Yue wiped her tears and charged toward the main gate, cutting down each demon servant that blocked their path.

Jiang Fan pressed his lips together, silent.

At this moment, words were powerless, yet he could not help but turn and shout, "Father, one day I will destroy every demon and monster!"

"Ha! Good son!" Jiang Zheng'an stood upright, his blade before him, and laughed heartily.

"Trying to escape?" Jiang Zhengde's expression twisted with cruelty. With a wave, he manipulated the endless demon mist, encircling the entire Jiang estate.

"Die!" Jiang Zheng'an leapt again, his blade dissipating the mist. He did not defend, only attacked—utterly abandoning himself to the fight. Even so, he was no match for Jiang Zhengde, whose power only grew with time.

Another palm sent Jiang Zheng'an crashing down. He coughed blood three times, his face as pale as paper.

"Our father and eldest brother are gone, Zheng'an. Go join them," Jiang Zhengde said, almost wistfully, pressing a palm down.

"Do you have not a shred of humanity left? Our father, our brother, and now me—your own brother—can you truly kill us without remorse?" Jiang Zheng'an cried in grief and rage, looking skyward.

"Zheng'an!" came Nangong Yue's hoarse cry from afar.

Jiang Fan turned as well—they had not yet broken through. Xiao Qing and Xiao Qian were swaying, on the verge of collapse.

Bang!

Just as Jiang Zheng'an was about to be killed, an old man suddenly appeared before him, shattering the descending hand with a single strike.

"You—you are…!" Jiang Zhengde's face changed as if he'd seen a ghost.

"To think the Jiang family would produce such a monster," the old man's voice rang like a great bell. "Our lineage predates even the imperial dynasty, passed down through the ages, and now you would drag it all into the abyss in a single night!"

"Great-grandfather, weren't you dead? How did you crawl back out?" Jiang Zhengde's teeth chattered.

"Forty years ago, I entered seclusion to break through, vowing that if I failed I would die of old age within my chamber," the old man replied. "Though I did not break through, my time had not yet come. A sudden impulse woke me from meditation, and I could not settle again, so I emerged—only to find the great Jiang family ruined, with little An about to be killed by your hand. Xiao De, I gave you your name, hoping you would grow up at least to be virtuous. How could you turn out the opposite?"

"Ah, had I known this day would come, I should have killed you myself back then!" As the old man spoke, he strode into the air. His look of regret vanished, replaced by cold indifference. "Xiao De, end yourself."

"End myself? Ha!" Jiang Zhengde laughed wildly. "Old fool, you should have died long ago instead of crawling back out. I'll send you down myself, so you won't be lonely!"

The demon pillar behind him suddenly trembled, radiating black light.

"Not good!" the old man shouted, lunging forward, but the light from the pillar forced him back.

"What came before was merely an appetizer. Now, the true descent of the demon has begun!" Jiang Zhengde smiled. "Old man, had you come just a bit earlier, perhaps you could have stopped this. Unfortunately, you're too late."

The pillar's black light converged, shooting toward the governor's estate. Simultaneously, three beams from outside the city joined it, converging into a single point that landed on the suspended Xuantian Mirror.

Bang!

Divine power clashed, and the void trembled. A crack appeared on the Xuantian Mirror.

"It didn't shatter?" Jiang Zhengde frowned.

At that moment, he felt a terrifying suction at his back. His strength drained rapidly, pouring into the demon pillar.

"No, Master! You can't—you can't absorb me too!" Jiang Zhengde screamed in terror. "Master, I am your most loyal servant! I've sacrificed my body, my heart, my soul, even my father, brother, and son for you. You can't—ah!"

Jiang Zhengde let out a wretched scream as his body withered away.

All the demon servants in the courtyard perished as well.

The old man landed, shielding Jiang Fan and the others.

"To consort with demons is to invite such an end," the old man said coldly. He struck out again, causing the demon pillar to tremble yet again, though he could not shatter it.

"What a terrifying evil artifact. Even I cannot shake it," he muttered, his expression grim. "Why would such a powerful demon seek the destruction of the city?"

The demon pillar trembled once more, gathering an even more dreadful force. Light burst forth, and the pillar shattered. Clearly, this was its final outpouring of power.

The sky quaked, all things lost their brilliance. Four beams merged again.

"Break!"

A shout echoed from the distance. A figure soared into the sky, bringing his blade down upon the gathered light, but he was repelled, sent flying.

With a crack, the converged light formed a black sphere, which flashed and landed on the Xuantian Mirror. A crisp sound rang out as the mirror's surface splintered, shards scattering through the air.

The barrier that had covered the city also vanished at that moment.