Chapter 216: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

“Strange, there isn’t a single person around the Hall of Heroes?”

Jiang Yan looked around but saw no signs of life, finding it quite odd.

Just then, the Sky Demon, having manifested his true form, took a moment to regulate his breathing before immediately attempting to charge into the hall.

Thud…

However, as soon as he stepped onto the stairs, a cyan Formation suddenly appeared, blocking the Sky Demon’s body.

“This Formation…”

Jiang Yan observed it discreetly, sensing that this Formation was unlike any other. Its Aura was so intense it sent shivers down his spine.

It was incredibly powerful!

“So, how will he break through the Formation without causing too much commotion?”

Jiang Yan grew increasingly curious about the Sky Demon’s actions.

“Heh, so it really is that kid’s Formation.” The Sky Demon grinned, circling halfway around the hall before finally arriving at a side chamber. Outside, a small, vibrant green blade of grass grew conspicuously, though its Aura was faint, making it seem unremarkable.

The Sky Demon’s smile widened. “It seems he doesn’t know my Origin Source is buried beneath this Hall of Heroes. But by telling me the methods to break the Formations in various places beforehand, he must have had some suspicions.”

“That human kid… is truly clever.”

With a wave of his hand, the blade of grass flew into the Sky Demon’s fingers.

Holding the stem of the grass, his twisted expression could no longer be concealed.

Whoosh!

The grass landed on the Formation and miraculously opened a Formation Eye. Seizing the opportunity, the Sky Demon slipped right through.

The Formation closed instantly. Jiang Yan had planned to sneak in while it was open but nearly collided with it instead.

Standing in place, Jiang Yan gazed at the resplendent Hall of Heroes before him, his eyes unreadable.

“No one is guarding the Hall of Heroes.”

“All the Martial Gods have gone to the Starry Sky for a duel.”

“The Sky Demon easily broke the Formation.”

“The people of Tianyuan Star… are quite interesting.”

“And this cyan Formation…” Jiang Yan recalled the Martial God’s methods he had witnessed through his Doppelganger in District 26.

“That person also used Formations…”

Formations were techniques favored by ancient Cultivators, now long lost to time.

For the Sky Demon to know the method to break this Formation so clearly, he must have either suffered from it before or—

Someone had given him the means.

Jiang Yan’s heart tightened. “Indeed, I can’t rely on others. I might end up dead without even knowing how.”

“Tianyuan Star really treats its own people like they’re from Hongguo.”

As he pondered, he picked up a leaf from the roadside and tried placing it on the Formation, just as the Sky Demon had done.

Sure enough, the cyan barrier gradually opened a gap, and Jiang Yan slipped through.

The Life-Death Duality Formation:

Cast using ancient Formation techniques, it revolves around the interplay and mutual restraint of life and death.

There are only two ways to break it.

First: The Life Method.

Shatter the Formation with absolute power, as Hong Luo did when he withdrew from the Six Alliance and left the Hall of Heroes.

Second: The Death Method.

Do the opposite—use the weakest power and the most meager life force to dissolve the Formation.

Jiang Yan didn’t know this, nor did the Sky Demon, but the one who set it knew all too well.

Inside the hall, the Sky Demon lay on the ground, pressing his ear to the floor as if sensing something.

After a long while, he excitedly scrambled to his feet.

“No mistake! No mistake! It’s right beneath here!”

The Sky Demon howled wildly as he dug into the ground, flinging bricks and jade tiles aside, single-mindedly seeking what lay buried below.

His face grew increasingly twisted and frenzied as he dug deeper, muttering about revenge and settling scores. Emotions suppressed for too long were now being displayed in the most absurd manner within the grand hall.

“This guy… the one in the Battle Space wasn’t this crazy…”

“Hehehehe…” The Sky Demon laughed while sticking out his long tongue, drool dripping all over the floor.

“Hahahahaha!”

Jiang Yan: …

“Hehehehe, hohohoho, hehehe…”

Buzz—

Finally, just as Jiang Yan was about to lose his patience, a gray-and-white intertwined light sphere suddenly flew out.

“Mine! Mine! Hehehe…”

The Sky Demon, swinging his long tongue, lunged toward the light sphere like a madman.

Chaotic Void Domain.

Multiple Casting.

Blade Bearer.

Peerless Realm.

Soul Suppression.

Demon Scale.

Pandora’s Box.

Weapon True Understanding.

“Terminus: Unification!”

True Word Leveling Method Boost: 100%!

Boom!

A gray Saber Qi slashed out.

The seemingly within-reach gray-and-white intertwined light sphere gradually vanished from sight. In the Sky Demon’s eyes, all he saw was a massive black-and-white Saber Qi and…

A face completely shrouded in black substance.

No expression was visible.

But one could guess that Jiang Yan was now laughing even more maniacally than the Sky Demon had moments ago.

“Hand it over!”

Jiang Yan grabbed the light sphere with one hand, then swiftly picked up a leaf he had prepared earlier outside and flicked it with a slight force.

The leaf flew out and landed on the Formation Eye.

The Sky Demon, taking Jiang Yan’s full-force strike head-on, merely staggered slightly before a barrier rose around his body, leaving Jiang Yan no opening.

Jiang Yan knew all too well that in the face of absolute power, even relying on the Instant Kill Law would be insufficient. This was a conclusion he had drawn from witnessing the freaks in the Battle Space and the Martial God’s battle in the Starry Sky.

The Sky Demon, humiliated and enraged, fixed his gaze on Jiang Yan.

“Ahhhhhhh! Who are you?!”

Boom!

Jiang Yan immediately went invisible, not daring to prolong the fight.

No matter how weakened the opponent was, he was still a Tenth Rank Sky Demon—a being capable of contending with the Martial God, far beyond Jiang Yan’s ability to confront.

Wrapped in Spirit Ink, with the Invisibility Trait activated and his aura concealed by the Chaotic Void Ancestral Spirit, Jiang Yan vanished from the Sky Demon’s sight.

“No!”

“No!”

“No!”

“You forced me to do this!”

The Sky Demon roared, and the Runes engraved on his body transformed into chains that shot out in all directions.

He was actually attempting to deploy the very cage capable of imprisoning the Martial God.

However.

Pfft—

The Sky Demon spat out a mouthful of black blood.

“Damn it, my Incarnation’s Origin Source is damaged. I can’t even execute this secret Divine Ability now.”

Seeing the gap in the Formation, the Sky Demon let out a distorted scream and flew out before it could close.

Outside the grand hall, the Sky Demon howled wildly.

“Whoever you are!”

“Die! Die! Die!!”

Boom!

The Sky Demon bellowed in rage and slammed his hand down.

The entire Heart Origin City trembled and crumbled…

Even now, the Sky Demon still possessed the strength to battle the Martial God. Thankfully, Jiang Yan hadn’t lingered in the fight earlier.

“Hahahahaha, you clown! I can sense the Origin Source’s location. You’d better hand it over obediently, or if I catch you… you’ll suffer terribly.”

“What! Why can’t I sense it?!”

“No! No!”

“Please, give it back to me!”

“Return it to me!!”

As Heart Origin City collapsed, a Demon Lord loomed in the Void, slamming his hand down.

Instantly, most of the city was crushed, reduced to ruins.

“Nothing!”

Another palm strike followed, obliterating the entire Tianyuan City.

Billions of lives turned into a sea of blood. “Corpses piled a million high” was no longer an exaggeration!

“Get—out—here!”

Boom!

The Sky Demon rampaged, smashing and striking wildly…

The once prosperous and powerful Heart Origin City was hastily reduced to ruins.

At this moment.

Jiang Yan stood frozen inside the Hall of Heroes.

Indeed, he had never actually followed the Formation Eye to escape.

Using the leaf to break through the Formation earlier was merely a feint.

Looking at the Origin Source wrapped in the Primordial Void Qi in his hand, Jiang Yan sighed quietly.

“Thankfully it’s sealed, or else if the Aura leaked out, I’d be dead for sure.”

To kill the Sky Demon, Jiang Yan needed to land a hit on him, and even if he did, there was only a 10.1% chance of success.

As for the Sky Demon, he might only need one punch to dismember Jiang Yan on the spot.

Jiang Yan understood perfectly well which risk was greater.

“Hehehe, after this job, I’ll call it quits.”