The Demon Emperor's strike sent them both plummeting from the sky into the dense forest.
Wind howled past Jian Lin's ears as she was spun dizzily, crashing directly into the ground and becoming the Demon Lord's cushion.
She thought hiding behind the Demon Lord was a good idea, never expecting to fall like this.
"I, I," Jian Lin stammered, her words jumbled, "am dead, about to die, Lord Demon Lord, hurry and get up."
Opening her eyes, she saw the towering branches of the dense forest and could smell the scorched scent of burning wood. She weakly pushed the Demon Lord's shoulder, wailing, "I can't, I'm going to vomit, hurry and get up."
The Demon Lord moved sluggishly, rolling to the side. He glanced at Jian Lin, said nothing, and then spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Lord Demon Lord!" Jian Lin cried urgently, struggling to move, hugging the Demon Lord's shoulder, "Are you alright? Is it serious?"
Before the Demon Lord could speak, leaves rustled and a fierce gust of wind arrived. The Demon Emperor descended abruptly, standing opposite them, his voice filled with burning rage, "Hand over the High Priest! I will spare your lives!"
Jian Lin quickly put the jade bell into her Qiankun bag, feigning ignorance with a look of terror, "I don't know, what does it have to do with us? Maybe the High Priest ran off himself, Demon Emperor, you'd better hurry and chase him."
"Nonsense!" The Demon Emperor took a step forward, exuding an oppressive killing intent, "I saw it clearly, it was you who caused trouble. If you don't release him, I will tear you to shreds!"
Jian Lin swallowed. Honestly, she was intimidated by the Demon Emperor's frenzied aura, but she absolutely could not back down. Releasing the High Priest to help the Demon Emperor would only make things worse.
Weighing the severity and the greater severity, she could only choose the slightly better option.
"I really don't know!" Jian Lin gritted her teeth and said, "Kill me if you want, I truly don't know. If you want to find him, go find him yourself, don't ask me!"
The Demon Emperor's disheveled hair stood on end, like burning flames. Even though he wore a mask, Jian Lin felt as if she could still see an angry, twisted face.
"You won't talk, will you?" The Demon Emperor reached out, yanked fiercely, and directly gripped the Demon Lord's neck, "If you don't speak, I'll kill him!"
Jian Lin's heart filled with dread as she stared at the Demon Lord's still body, completely stunned.
What the heck, was he really injured or faking it! Why had her Demon Lord suddenly become so weak?!
She staggered to her feet, straightened her chest, and said, "I really don't know. Even if you kill him, I still won't know."
The Demon Emperor stopped talking. A long sword materialized in his hand and with a *thwack*, was plunged directly into the Demon Lord's abdomen.
Blood dripped steadily. The Demon Lord twitched twice, then his neck went limp, and he was lifeless.
Jian Lin grew more suspicious. She examined him carefully. That tall, lean, and strong figure was clearly the Demon Lord, but why had he suddenly become so weak?
If it was fake, it would be fine, but if it was real, could she really watch the Demon Lord die?
The Demon Emperor gripped the sword hilt and said sinisterly, "Still playing tough? Then, out of my benevolence, I'll dig out his Golden Core for you to see."
The sound of the blade cutting through flesh was particularly chilling. More and more blood flowed. Jian Lin was terrified. This, this... it really didn't look fake.
"Stop," Jian Lin called out, her face pale, "The High Priest is with me. Let him go, and I'll tell you."
"You cunning human, do you think I'll believe you?" The Demon Emperor said hatefully, "You speak first, or my hand won't stop."
"Don't!" Jian Lin involuntarily took two steps forward, "I'll trade myself for him! Take me captive. If I don't tell the truth, then kill me. How about that?"
"Humans are truly strange. In your eyes, his life is more important than your own?" The Demon Emperor, though suspicious, did not stop his actions. He threw the Demon Lord aside with one hand and simultaneously grabbed Jian Lin, pulling her in front of him, "Speak, I'm waiting."
This was the first time Jian Lin had observed the Demon Emperor at such close range. The discomfort made her skin crawl. The hand gripping her neck was slippery and cold, reminiscent of a slimy mollusk.
"Demon Emperor, the High Priest told me many things about you. We have a very good relationship. He's actually been fed up with you for a long time, and I'm helping him escape this time," Jian Lin calmly sowed discord, "Of course, I can tell you where he went, but he'll be unhappy if he finds out. Are you determined to chase him?"
The Demon Emperor fell silent, then suddenly laughed mockingly, "This is something humans would do. It's a pity the High Priest would never lie. If he wanted to leave, he would have said so openly. He wouldn't have you tell me. I won't believe you."
"I know many things about him. I know he never joined any sect, he practiced by himself from sword manuals. Because his strength was poor, he was severely injured, and had no money for treatment, which led to his current predicament," Jian Lin said clearly, word by word, "He was forced, forced to swallow the demon core. He hates everything about his current situation, including you!"
Mixing truth with falsehood, Jian Lin spoke, feeling the Demon Emperor's grip on her hand gradually tremble. He was indeed wavering.
"No," the Demon Emperor panted, denying loudly, "No! You're talking nonsense! Ah—"
Jian Lin covered her ears, the sound piercing her eardrums. She was now absolutely certain the Demon Emperor had gone mad.
While frantically dodging, she suddenly noticed a sharp figure charging from behind the Demon Emperor. It was the Demon Lord!
She knew then that the body was fake!
The Demon Emperor's mind was in chaos, and he didn't notice the Demon Lord's sneak attack. His sword pierced the barrier with a *swish*, plunging directly into the Demon Emperor's body,貫穿 from back to abdomen, a fatal wound.
He suddenly stopped speaking. The hand that held Jian Lin went limp. Jian Lin fell to the ground, scrambling backward, trying with all her might to get further away from the Demon Emperor.
The Demon Emperor slowly turned around, suddenly lost his strength, and knelt on one knee, looking up at the Demon Lord, "He always advised me not to kill you, to endure for the sake of the greater plan. Now it seems he was right. I shouldn't have moved against you, but it's too late. There's no turning back once the arrow is shot. Even if it's the wrong path, I will walk it to the end."
The Demon Emperor rambled on nonsensically. Jian Lin didn't quite understand. She looked at the Demon Lord, clearly seeing that he was also confused.
What was right, what was wrong, and what was this "greater plan"?
The Demon Lord said coldly, "Demon Emperor, no need for nonsense. This is a fair duel. I won. You are my defeated foe."
The Demon Emperor lowered his head and laughed mockingly, "Victory or defeat is irrelevant. I only want you, dead!"
With the word "dead," the Demon Emperor's body suddenly erupted with immense demonic power. Demonic winds raged, causing the dense forest to sway precariously. Sand and dust gathered, blinding Jian Lin.
Through the haze, the Demon Emperor drew his fatal long sword, raised it with both hands, his burly figure flickering. What was he doing?
Jian Lin's heart pounded. Suddenly, a familiar aura approached. The Demon Lord grabbed her and ascended rapidly.
"Lord Demon Lord, what's happening?" Jian Lin had a bad feeling but didn't know what was going on.
"The Demon Emperor is about to break through," the Demon Lord said in a deep voice.
Jian Lin remembered the Demon Emperor's cultivation was at the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage. Breaking through again would put him at the ninth level, just one step away from Nascent Soul tribulation.
She suddenly understood the Demon Emperor's words: victory and defeat were unimportant, he only wanted the Demon Lord dead.
Without the Dragon Core, the Demon Emperor must have been suppressing his cultivation, fearing the tribulation lightning. Now, he was no longer suppressing it, forcefully breaking through to gain power and kill the Demon Lord.
This also indicated that the Demon Emperor's resolve was stronger than ever; he wanted them dead.
Jian Lin was truly scared. She looked back at the Demon Lord and asked tremblingly, "Shouldn't we just run? Can't we win?"
The Demon Lord glanced at her and said coldly, "I am already running."
Jian Lin shivered and began to regret, "I, I, I, shouldn't I have provoked him?"
"So cowardly. If you provoked him, you provoked him," the Demon Lord said indifferently, "As a member of my Demonic Sect, the greatest taboo is to hesitate and be timid. It's better to give up cultivation early and go home to be an ordinary mortal."
However, the Demon Lord's bold words did not comfort Jian Lin, because the Demon Emperor directly attacked, scattering them both with a palm strike and charging forward with great momentum.
Jian Lin fell continuously, realizing a serious problem: after going mad, the Demon Emperor's combat power had doubled.
It was the darkest moment before dawn. The demonic power the Demon Emperor unleashed was like lightning, illuminating the sky from time to time.
He didn't fear injury, only focusing his attacks on the Demon Lord, as if aiming for mutual destruction.
Jian Lin was thrown far behind, watching helplessly as the Demon Lord was struck onto a mountain peak, and then in the next instant, the entire mountain peak disappeared!
What terrifying power was this? Jian Lin rushed forward, only to see the Demon Emperor raising a giant boulder, preparing to smash it down on the disadvantaged Demon Lord with all his might.
Jian Lin was absolutely certain that this time, it was truly over.
She rushed forward, leaning in front of the Demon Lord, her entire vision occupied by the giant boulder. She looked back at the Demon Lord and said, "It's worth dying together in this life. In the next life, I'll still look for you!"
In the darkness, she couldn't see the Demon Lord's expression, only the strength in his wrist, which allowed her to feel his emotions.
He raised his hand, embraced her, and whispered in her ear, "For the sake of those words, I'll send you on your way first, so you don't have to suffer a painful death."
Jian Lin's lips twitched. This man truly wouldn't say a romantic word of thanks even when facing death.
Oh well, forget it.
Just as she closed her eyes, preparing to receive the Demon Lord's gift, a powerful white light suddenly erupted in mid-air, shattering the giant boulder in the Demon Emperor's hand.
What was that?
Jian Lin opened her eyes. A small white dragon was swimming in the air, engaging the Demon Emperor in a struggle.
It was Xiao Li! She had transformed into her true form!
"No!" Jian Lin roared with heartbreaking pain, "Xiao Li! Hurry and go!"
The High Priest's words echoed in Jian Lin's ears like a curse.
Despite considering herself someone who could alter heavenly secrets, she still couldn't change the outcome of the Dragon Core appearing.
She had saved Xiao Li, and Xiao Li, for her sake, fought the Demon Emperor, only to ultimately fall into the Demon Emperor's hands.
Jian Lin wanted to rush over, but the Demon Lord tightly held her waist, "Don't go, let's leave!"
The Demon Lord seized this opportunity to quickly depart. Jian Lin watched helplessly as the white dragon's tail was grabbed by the Demon Emperor, who swung it, knocking down another mountain peak.
"Xiao Li!" Jian Lin cried out in pain, but she couldn't muster any strength, only murmuring repeatedly, "It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be her..."