The beautiful human woman's face turned pale, her large eyes filled with terror. As the second prince threw her aside, it seemed like she was about to crash into the sharp bronze spear. Just then, the long robe of Fengyun Wuyi fluttered, and his figure transformed into a wisp of smoke, vanishing from his original position.
The second prince's pupils shrank suddenly, and he roared, "Now! Kill him!" With that, he struck first, swinging a punch. The "Demon Emperor's Art" had already been unleashed, sending a dense, purple wave of destructive energy toward the human woman.
Dozens of previously motionless demons sprang into action, unleashing their most powerful attacks. The air was filled with deafening sounds of destruction as bolts of black lightning surrounded the woman, sealing off her space. A faint smile appeared on the second prince's lips as he thought, "Although I can't capture your figure, once you enter this space, there's no escape."
Indeed, Fengyun Wuyi's figure materialized behind the woman. His expression was cold, but he was calm as the attacks from the second prince and his demons came at him. Fengyun Wuyi extended his hand, moving with incredible speed, and his fingers clamped around the woman's slender neck like an iron vice. With a slight squeeze, the woman's eyes widened in disbelief, her head tilted, and she died instantly. In his right hand, an unusual, shuttle-shaped weapon, just inches from Fengyun Wuyi, dropped to the ground, immediately turning into black smoke and vanishing without a trace, leaving only a thin, fishhook-shaped mark on the ground.
"You did well," Fengyun Wuyi said coldly. He tossed the woman's body toward the second prince and his demons. The corpse flew less than ten yards before the attacks from the demons caused it to explode. The shockwave from the explosion slowed the oncoming strikes, and Fengyun Wuyi, already prepared, swiftly moved, breaking through the layers of space like lightning and disappearing into the rock above.
From a distance, Fengyun Wuyi's voice echoed faintly, "Second Prince, I remember you. Heh, such a lowly trick. Using a demoness to pose as a human woman? Tsk, tsk... Two demons mating in front of me—could this be your idea of fun? Is this the limit of your intelligence? Or perhaps, all demons have the brains of pigs?"
When Fengyun Wuyi's hand gripped the woman's neck, the second prince had already sensed that his plan had been seen through. The attacks he sent were used by Fengyun Wuyi to trigger the demoness's corpse, creating a wave of magic energy that disrupted their strikes. Now, hearing the mocking words, the second prince's fury boiled over.
"Attack! You fools, kill him! He can't escape! If you don't bring me his head, you can bring me your own!" the second prince hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at the hole above.
"Yes!" Dozens of mid-tier demons responded loudly, and one by one, they soared into the air, diving into the channel Fengyun Wuyi had forced open.
"Merlin, bind his movements!" The second prince suddenly turned to the black-robed mage beside him, an expression of regret on his face. "How did I not think of this sooner?"
The second prince regretted not having Merlin, the mage, bind Fengyun Wuyi's speed and restrict him. But he couldn't blame himself too much—magic wasn't the primary focus in the demon realm. The true power lay in the cultivation of demonic arts and spells.
"Understood!" The mage, his face lined with wrinkles and a large black hood covering his head, extended his skeletal right hand. He traced a circle in the air, closed his eyes, and began to chant strange, undulating notes that were impossible to decipher.
From Merlin's wide robe, faint black smoke began to seep out, flowing into his hand, which gathered into a growing, swirling mass of darkness. Soon, the black smoke coalesced into a nearly ten-foot-long dark staff. Merlin's voice grew high-pitched and rapid, shaking the earth, the rocks, and the air. Dust and stone began to fall from the ceiling.
With a mighty crash, Merlin slammed the dark staff into the ground. It sank into the rock, and a deep rumble echoed from the surrounding earth. Everyone trembled as the ground shook with fear.
Above them, the jagged rock ceiling slowly closed in, the falling stones seamlessly returning to their original positions, as if nothing had ever been disturbed.
The demons stared in shock at Merlin, astonished that the old mage possessed such tremendous power.
Merlin, eyes still closed, gripped his staff with one hand while the other gestured in the air. The second prince knew the mage had already begun his spell, merging with the underground rock layers and searching for Fengyun Wuyi's location. The entire water prison was now under Merlin's control, as he and the rock became one.
Meanwhile, Fengyun Wuyi had turned the tables on the second prince by killing the demoness in front of him, boldly walking away, driving the second prince to the brink of madness. He had used all his strength to carve an upward passage through the hard rock.
After an unknown amount of time, Fengyun Wuyi suddenly sensed a strange, dark presence. It was an odd feeling—not one tied to sight, but rather a subconscious awareness. Then, he felt his body freeze, caught between the layers of rock.
The surrounding rock seemed to melt, transforming into a tough liquid that wrapped around him, constricting and tightening from all directions, while massive, sharp stone pillars began to advance.
"Ah!" Fengyun Wuyi roared, his magic power exploding as he slammed his fists into the rock. The surrounding stone shattered, creating a small opening. But almost immediately, the rock reformed, encircling him like a living creature.
Loud explosions reverberated below him, and his divine sense detected more than a dozen demons charging toward him.
"Human, you can't escape. Even if you get past me, ahead lies the endless Hell Sea, a place even high-tier demons wouldn't dare claim to pass. What hope do you have? Now, take a rest," a cold voice echoed in Fengyun Wuyi's ears, and a strange force began to reach for his soul...
Instead of being frightened, Fengyun Wuyi was pleased. He bellowed, his divine sense surging to meet the strange force.
Boom!
A cataclysmic explosion shook his mind, as if the very earth had split. Though Fengyun Wuyi's spiritual power could not compare to that of the mysterious elder, it was more than sufficient to overcome Merlin's abilities.
With a powerful strike, the restraining force vanished, and the surrounding rock became brittle. Fengyun Wuyi quickly punched his way through, creating an opening to the Hell Sea.
Back in the water prison, the silent mage Merlin suddenly opened his eyes. He coughed up blood, and the dark staff he held shattered in his grasp, turning to dust. The frail mage's body, like a thin bamboo pole, collapsed to the ground.