Chapter 371: Two Demons' Blood Battle

In this situation, Yan Fei clearly couldn't respond, or perhaps he didn't even hear Niu Batian's words. He simply stared blankly into the distance.

Although the demonic energy covering the sky was hard to distinguish with the naked eye, the emergence of Lu Shan Jun's true demonic form created a considerable impact. Its body was that of a giant tiger, with a beast head featuring a broad face and terrifying tusks. Yet, it strangely resembled a majestic human face. Over its body and face, especially above its four legs, long yellow and black fur swayed like intense, windless flames. Its tail gently swayed, conjuring ripples of faint afterimages.

The three-zhang tall demonic form gradually emerged, creating a visually astonishing sight. A captivating power seemed to envelop it, instilling a natural sense of fear and awe. Let alone Niu Batian, even Yan Fei knew this was no ordinary tiger. In Yan Fei's eyes, this creature simply couldn't exist in the human world.

Tigers in this world are known as the "King of Beasts." Among ordinary wild animals, they are simply fiercer and stronger. However, once they cultivate into demons, their inherent tiger might and presence intensify. This is much like humans; the heavens are never fair, nor do they possess the concept of fairness—all beings are born with inherent differences. The demon before them now had some characteristics of a fierce tiger, but its power was far greater and more terrifying than any ordinary one.

The "human face" on this true demonic form wasn't a literal human face. Instead, subtle resemblances from various parts converged to create a divine and similar form, which was far more terrifying and majestic than a separate animal or human face.

"Brother Niu... What kind of demon is this?"

Yan Fei held his breath for a long moment before finally managing to utter that question.

"You ask me, who am I supposed to ask? Why are you still standing there dumbfounded? Run! You can tell just by looking that this thing is trouble. Old Niu won't be able to look after you once I start fighting!"

Niu Batian's tone was exasperated. He felt he might have to fight to the death today; he wouldn't have felt this way even if he saw a flood dragon, but the current oppressive feeling was overwhelming. The strong sense of deterrence made Niu Batian dare not act rashly.

The wind grew increasingly fierce, to the point where flying sand and stones obscured their vision. Lu Shan Jun, meanwhile, had transformed into his true form in the blink of an eye. With his demonic form now revealed, Lu Shan Jun slowly propped himself up, his front lowered, muscles and bones contorted menacingly. A pair of narrow, golden-amber eyes fixed on Niu Batian and Yan Fei, who was slightly farther away.

"Yan Fei, there's no need to run. Even if you do, I'll catch you quickly. I'll kill this monster first, then come for you!"

Lu Shan Jun's contemptuous gaze and slightly hoarse voice made Niu Batian feel insulted, prompting him to roar in fury. "To hell with you! You call me a monster? What does that make you? I don't care what kind of demon you are, Old Niu will destroy you today! Moo!"

The bull's roar echoed, shaking the surroundings. The demonic energy around Niu Batian intensified, and a faint glow emerged, growing progressively brighter as his body began to swell. However, he wasn't merely revealing his original form; rather, it seemed as if he was growing, accompanied by the creaking of bones and muscles. Demonic energy continuously steamed from his face, and amidst the blur, only his crimson eyes glowed red. Two sharp bull horns, gleaming with a cold light, emerged from his head. Old Niu's proud demonic physical form was even more powerful than his original true form.

"Moo————"

The loud bull's roar resonated across the land, clearly audible even in the distant Luoqing City.

"Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh..."

The tree trunk in his hand spun a few times, creating whooshing sounds as it cut through the air, before being slammed hard onto the ground.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

To the east, outside Luoqing City, a vast sandstorm appeared to be forming. People in Luoqing City who looked in that direction could only see the pervasive sandstorm, unable to discern what was truly happening within it. On the Luoqing city wall, soldiers gazed with shock at the eastern direction outside the city, watching the colossal sandstorm that connected heaven and earth. Their hearts were filled with overwhelming dread.

Luoqing rarely experienced major natural disasters, and it was a clear day here. The celestial phenomenon in that direction was truly terrifying, with strange, continuous thunderous sounds that were utterly chilling. Closer to the city gates, common people also stood frozen, watching the distant changes.

"Hurry, hurry! Don't just stand there stunned. If you want to enter the city, come in now; the gates are about to close!"

"Hurry up, don't just stand there! The gate supervisor has ordered the city gates closed. The storm will be here soon. Are you going home or entering the city?"

Hearing the soldiers' shouts at the city gate, the people outside awoke as if from a dream and hastened their steps into the city. "Into the city, into the city, I'm going into the city!" "Me too, me too..."

"Wait for me, wait for me too!"

Not only the East Gate, but the other city gates also began to close one after another. Luoqing City's walls were tall, and once the gates were shut, even a city-wide sandstorm would eventually subside.

Unlike the reactions of ordinary citizens and soldiers, at this moment, on a section of Luoqing City's wall, the City God of Luoqing and several Underworld officials stood on the city tower, intently staring at the distant, pervasive sandstorm outside the city. To these gods and spirits, the sandstorm's true color, along with other unsettling hues, was visible.

"Such heavy demonic energy!" "Is it that demon living outside the city?"

"Yes, one of them is; I'm not sure about the others."

"Lord City God, should I intervene?"

The Luoqing City God's eyes flickered. He looked back into the city, seeing only the panicked faces of Luoqing's citizens in the face of the sandstorm. "Do not act rashly. The other party should only be targeting the demon outside the city. For now, let's observe the situation!"

No sooner had he spoken.

"Moo————"

Old Niu's prolonged bellow shook the sky, followed by a tremendous rumbling and the sensation of the earth trembling. All the citizens of Luoqing City could feel the distinct tremor. The continuous rumbling vibrations made porcelain in many restaurants, tea houses, and homes shake incessantly.

Outside Luoqing City, at this moment, both great demons had unleashed their true powers. Their fierce collision resembled continuous thunder, and Yan Fei felt as if sand and stones were flying, mountains were collapsing, and the earth was tearing apart. Yan Fei crouched low, lying flat in a depression on the ground, his hands gripping the stones beneath him so tightly that his veins bulged.

Although Niu Batian told him to run as far as possible, the current situation made it impossible. With the strong winds and flying sand, not only was the road invisible, but he couldn't even stand steadily. Being hit by a few large rocks would be agonizing. Staying still and hidden was the safest option.

"Roar..."

"Moo-roar..."

"Rumble..."

The deafening sounds and vibrations made Yan Fei's ears ring and his body numb, once again making him feel the insignificance of mortal power. If not for Niu Batian, he would likely be a corpse by now, or perhaps not even a trace of one.

'Brother Niu, please don't get into trouble!'

It wasn't that Yan Fei feared being left unprotected if Old Niu were to fall; rather, he was genuinely worried that Niu Batian would get implicated and suffer harm because of him. However, with Yan Fei's limited vision, he could only see flashes of yellow light and demonic flames emanating from the densest part of the distant sandstorm, while the roars and bellows of the two great demons were incessant.

"Boom..."

A broken tree trunk crashed down nearby, rolling right past the depression where Yan Fei lay. It was the very jujube tree Niu Batian had been using as a staff. Immediately after, a series of "clang, clang, clang" sounds rang out. Amidst the metallic clashes, countless sparks seemed to fly in the distance.

"Whoosh...boom..."

Ten meters outside Yan Fei's pit, earth and stones overturned, sending large amounts of crushed rocks and soil flying skyward, enveloped by the sandstorm. This was debris splashed up when Old Niu was struck and sent crashing down. Some of the sand and stones were carried away by the wind, while others fell around and on Yan Fei. Besides being almost half-buried by the shifting earth, Yan Fei could feel warm droplets raining down—it was Old Niu's blood.

"You motherf—" "Boom!"

Niu Batian hadn't finished his curse when a giant shadow with sharp claws and teeth lunged down. The next moment, with several dazzling claw marks across his chest, Old Niu's massive body was sent flying backward again. The profound yellow essence covering his form fiercely grated against the radiant claw marks, emitting a teeth-grinding, cutting sound.

"Ugh... cough..."

The blood mist coughed out in mid-air once again turned into a rain of blood. Yet the pain only fueled Niu Batian's frenzy. Before his body even landed, Old Niu had already turned his hooves downward, his eyes filled with blood-red light. Watching Lu Shan Jun approach again, he stomped hard on the ground.

"Boom..."

The ground within a considerable radius glowed with a faint yellow light. Yan Fei could feel the ground being pulled, as waves of earth elemental energy surged beneath the surface. Before Lu Shan Jun's demonic form could even get close, he saw Old Niu in a half-crouch. A strong sense of crisis washed over him, his spiritual intuition flashing wildly. In an instant, his demonic body became enveloped in a vast amount of black, smoke-like demonic mist and flames.

"Don't you dare be so arrogant, you bastard! Moo..."

The next instant, a burst of white light illuminated Old Niu's head and body. With a "bang...", as sand and mud were flung up behind him, his body vanished after creating a large crater in the ground.

'Overlord Bull Horn Charge!'

Old Niu roared internally, approaching Lu Shan Jun's demonic form in an instant with an invincible momentum, leaving Lu Shan Jun with a sense of inescapable doom.

"Boom..."

The sandstorm was torn open, and the impact briefly improved visibility at its center. One bull horn struck Lu Shan Jun's raised left paw, while the other "thudded..." like a hot iron cutting through fat, piercing Lu Shan Jun's left limb's outer skin and goring deep into his demonic bone.

"Roar..."

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

Carrying the storm and flattening the earth, Old Niu charged north, goring Lu Shan Jun's massive demonic body. In an instant, they tore through over ten *li* of ground, shattering everything in their path—trees, boulders, soil, and even rivers. Lu Shan Jun, carried by this force and unable to escape, raked his sharp claws against Old Niu's back, generating dazzling light. Though his claws could pierce the dharma body's defense, they couldn't inflict an immediate fatal wound.

"Let's see if you die...!"

The madness in Old Niu's eyes was intense; disregarding the pain in his body, he was determined to gore this demon to death. Until he saw Luoqing City getting closer and closer...

"Moo..."

Forcibly suppressing his frenzy, Old Niu roared and violently shook his head.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

Lu Shan Jun's sharp claws, embedded in Old Niu's body, created a trail of blood and flesh mist. Only then was he flung away by the shake, flying over a hundred *zhang* before crashing to the ground with a "boom...".

"Thud..."

At this moment, Old Niu, nearly two *zhang* tall, couldn't support himself and heavily knelt on the ground. His entire back felt almost numb, and a mixture of saliva and blood continuously dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Hnn... hnn... hnn... urgh..."

He looked up to one side, where the never-before-seen demon had once again risen with potent demonic energy. Even though he knew the opponent must also be heavily wounded, the oppressive feeling remained intensely strong.

"What... what the hell kind of demon is this..."