The World-Ending Light proved mightier than Jiang Chen imagined. It tore Blazingsun to pieces and annihilated both flesh and soul.
Strength drained from the young lord as soon as he put down the Scrutiny. His body felt so limp he swayed on his feet.
He was utterly worn out after using the True Dragon Rope of Water and Fire, the Great Veluriyam Torch, and the Scrutiny of Existence in quick succession. His consciousness was almost entirely dried up.
His mentality was already powerful beyond compare. Although he was a third level divine, his consciousness could rival anyone in the mid divine realm. In fact, a sixth level cultivator would be his equal at best, or perhaps a little inferior.
Even so, such a severe rate of consumption was too much for him to bear. His entire body felt empty, an obvious symptom of excessive mental drain.
He immediately swallowed several pills to finally recover a hint of vigor. Still, he had to abstain from straining himself any further in the short term.
The four beasts looked at him, heads hanging in shame. They knew the price he’d paid. Although their combined domain had played a role, the demon forefather had broken free in the last moments. They absolutely could’ve slowed him down for longer, but they’d put their own safety first instead of showing as much determination as Blazingsun.
In fact, they couldn’t be blamed for it. No one was keen to perish together with their enemies. Survival was a fundamental instinct.
Still, guilt a.s.sailed when they saw Jiang Chen’s sorry state.
The young lord had given them his full trust. He’d always cared for them with wholehearted sincerity. They were never left out when it came to treasures or any opportunities.
Even a miraculous item like the Amaranth Clouddew Fruit had been theirs to enjoy.
By right, they should have contributed more. But they’d hesitated, and the young lord had been the one to pay for it. They definitely had their share of responsibility for the current situation.
“Young lord, will you be alright?” the Vermilion Bird asked, a little ashamed.
Jiang Chen waved it off with a sigh. “It was my mistake. I hadn’t expected Blazingsun to be this hard to deal with. He’s probably almost on par with Goldenhowl.”
Back then, he’d s.h.i.+ed away from a direct confrontation with the golden demon forefather’s fearsome power.
But a fire demon shouldn’t have been this troublesome. Victory seemed a.s.sured with all his preparations. He hadn’t antic.i.p.ated such an arduous fight.
Truly, one could never underestimate a demon’s strength in combat.
Rather guilt-stricken as well, Long Xiaoxuan offered, “Young lord, we failed you this time. We aren’t worthy of your care.”
Despite his usual arrogance, the dragon greatly valued relations.h.i.+ps in his heart of hearts. He felt more guilty than anyone for the young lord’s current condition.
The Astral White Tiger was young, his mind not yet mature. He was often thick headed and a little slow on the uptake. In fact, this was cute in his own silly way. But seeing everyone with such a heavy conscience, he also realized they hadn’t lived up to their status of sacred beasts and the human’s care of them.
Even the Black Tortoise, the one who’d contributed the most, knew deep down he could’ve done more.
“It’s fine. There’s no need to blame yourselves. In following me, you often have to risk your lives, so I naturally have to lead by example. That’s the natural order of things. How can I ask you to put yourselves in harm’s way if I do nothing but protect my hide?” Jiang Chen wanted to put this matter to rest.
The Vermilion Bird exclaimed, “It’s unfathomable for a human to be so empathetic, young lord. This battle is a warning for us, but it’s also a good lesson. At the very least, we’ve become closer to each other. We can be certain now you aren’t exploiting us, but see us as true friends.”
“That’s right, the young lord is entirely different from other human powerhouses,” the Black Tortoise couldn’t help but agree.
Long Xiaoxuan’s gaze was resolute. “This is the last time. From today on, I’ll fight every battle as if it were my last. I’ll never retreat again.”
“Hehe, you think I’ll lose to you? Bring it on!” The Astral White Tiger licked his lips.
“You can count me in as well,” the Vermilion Bird added solemnly.
The Black Tortoise sighed. “Everyone is of the same mind. Count me in too. If all four of us fight without holding back, few beneath the heavens can stop us.”
Jiang Chen smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ve taken the Amaranth Clouddew Fruits, so you’re still far from fully reaching your potential. More battles await us in the future, and you’ll witness even grander miracles by my side.”
“Ahh, we’ve really gained a lot this time,” sighed the Vermilion Bird with emotion. But its face suddenly sank. “Bad news, there are other demon forefathers rus.h.i.+ng over.”
“Is that so?” Long Xiaoxuan’s eyes shone with eagerness as he looked at Jiang Chen. “Young lord, shall we fight again?”
Jiang Chen thought it over and nodded. “It must be forefathers from the winged demon tribe. The fighting here was too frenetic for them to miss.”
“Hehe, winged demons aren’t as ferocious as t.i.tan demons, or as sharp as golden demons, or as explosive as fire demons. Their only advantage lies in their agility.” The Vermilion Bird also burned with an intense fighting spirit.
The young man nodded. “There’s nothing remarkable about them other than their mobility. They’re as swift as the wind and are good at dodging, but if we can reduce their speed, they’ll have no choice but to fight us toe-to-toe.”
Restless, the four beasts all itched to erase the shame from the previous battle as soon as possible.
“Young lord, can you still hold on?” The divine bird looked earnestly at Jiang Chen.
The other three also looked at him with hope, their desire for battle almost palpable.
The young man had recovered some energy thanks to pills, but his consciousness couldn’t be so easily restored. Another intense bout would be an enormous ordeal for his depleted consciousness.
But the winged demons would soon be upon them. It was too late to steal away in peace, at any rate. They would be dogged by enemies hot on their tails. Speed was a winged demon’s specialty, after all.
Furthermore, it was the best chance to deal with that particular tribe and weaken the enemies even further. A few more dead forefathers would be an enormous blow for the demons.
Jiang Chen was truly tempted.