Chapter 58

Not the least bit off. The expert who suddenly appeared from the river bottom and launched a surprise attack on Xiao Sheng was not the Evil King, but the third-ranking figure in the Devil Sect, second only to the Evil King and the Yin Empress: the Devil Marshal!

The strange weapons in his hands were called the "Versatile Diamond Spear." They could be used both at a distance and in close combat, could be hard or soft, and had endless variations, with unpredictable and divine mechanisms. They were renowned in both Central Plains and the Western Regions.

As if he had been prepared, Xiao Sheng didn't even glance at the Devil Marshal's strange weapons. He casually raised his hand to block. There were two consecutive metallic clanging sounds. Sparks flew, and the Versatile Diamond Spear was deflected backward. It didn't seem like it had struck the flesh of a human hand; it was as if it had hit a thick steel plate!

Though the Devil Marshal appeared fierce, he didn't really have much hope for this attack. When the Versatile Diamond Spear was deflected, he didn't panic. He gently shook his wrists, immediately neutralizing the counterforce.

With a thunderous roar, the Devil Marshal rallied his spirit and intensified his spear technique. In an instant, the diamond spear seemed to rise like a venomous snake, aiming at Xiao Sheng again. Then, a storm of golden snakes danced wildly, attacking from all directions like a violent storm. This was the "Eight Directions Storm."

In a flash, a continuous series of "ding ding dang dang" sounds echoed. All 108 vital points on Xiao Sheng's body were struck. However, even the Colorless Sword and the Twin Demon Blades couldn't harm a single hair on Xiao Sheng. The Versatile Diamond Spear, no matter how fierce and intense its attacks, was merely tickling him.

Xiao Sheng casually waved his hand, blocking left and right, and laughed, "The Devil Marshal's spear technique is nothing special. If this is all you've got, then, hahahaha, you're dead!"

Before his laughter had even faded, Xiao Sheng suddenly reached back, and the Versatile Diamond Spear, as if drawn by a magnet, was automatically drawn into his palm. The young man in white then swung his palm, splitting the water and forming an invincible vacuum shockwave that charged at the Devil Marshal. The power did not diminish as it traveled through the water; instead, it grew stronger with distance!

A greenish-blue ripple spread rapidly—Nan Dou Transmission Impact.

The moment the Versatile Diamond Spear was grabbed by Xiao Sheng, the Devil Marshal immediately let go. The steel chain coiled into a ball and whistled out, colliding head-on with the Transmission Impact.

"Clang!" The sound of metal shattering echoed. Countless fragments of the steel chain flew in all directions, with a destructive force even greater than the arrows from Zhuge's divine crossbow. The Devil Marshal, well-prepared, stepped on the water, avoiding the fragments while simultaneously leaping up and shouting, "Yin Empress!"

Before his words had even finished, a second figure "splash" burst through the water, leaping straight into the air behind Xiao Sheng. She clapped her hands together and then spread them apart. Countless black energy spheres, like thunder and hail, surged and shot out.

The Demon Field! But this was not the large Demon Field that usually covered a radius of three to five meters; it was a small Demon Field, the size of a fist. Although it was divided, its power was not weakened; rather, it was even more potent.

In a split second, at least a hundred small Demon Fields struck Xiao Sheng. Once these small Demon Fields made contact with their target, they exploded fiercely. Their power was strong enough to shatter the hardest granite into pieces. A hundred Demon Fields exploding simultaneously would surely overwhelm even the most indestructible body, right?

No, perhaps even an indestructible body might not withstand it. But for Xiao Sheng, this level of attack was still ineffective. He smiled calmly and said, "Dividing the whole into parts, with such precise control. Impressive. Yin Empress, your cultivation has greatly improved in just a few days."

"Little thief! You didn't expect this, did you? This day next year will be your anniversary of death!" The Yin Empress gritted her teeth, filled with resentment. With all her might, she intensified the Demon Fields, which shot out wildly, creating a storm that even forced the Devil Marshal to retreat several steps.

But Xiao Sheng, at the center of the explosion, not only didn't lose his smile but even looked more relaxed. It was as if he was not in a life-and-death battle but enjoying a massage to relax his muscles and joints.

"Armed Color Ripple—Steel!"

Absolute defense, absolute protection. No matter how fiercely the Demon Fields attacked, they couldn't harm Xiao Sheng at all. Moreover, a storm doesn't last all day, nor does a heavy rain last all night. No matter how much resentment the Yin Empress had, she couldn't sustain it forever. Once her energy was depleted, she would reveal a weakness. At that moment, Xiao Sheng's counterattack would surely leave her either dead or severely injured.

The Yin Empress, of course, was well aware of this. As soon as the second wave of a hundred small Demon Fields left her hands, she shouted fiercely, "Devil Marshal, what are you waiting for?" Her arm shook, and her cloak was torn into dozens of Demon Ribbons, which swept and attacked in a net-like formation, with a power no less than when she had the Twin Demon Blades.

At the same time, the Devil Marshal returned. He shouted, "Little thief, take this!" and attacked with both claws, using the first move of the "Eighteen Soul-Returning Claws"—"Black Tortoise's Lament"!

This claw technique was the essence of the Devil Marshal's lifelong cultivation. His left claw shot forward with a fierce roar, while his right claw bent and twisted gracefully. It was both slow and fast, clumsy yet skillful, completely locking and enveloping the enemy. It was both ingenious and devastating!

The Devil Marshal's claw technique was designed to tear and dislocate the enemy's bones, while the Yin Empress used the Demon Ribbons to form a net, blocking all directions. She also continuously launched small Demon Fields for long-range attacks. The two, one close and one far, cooperated seamlessly, increasing their power by more than three times.

Such a level of cooperation could not be achieved spontaneously. It was clear that the two top experts of the Devil Sect had practiced multiple times before the ambush. Therefore, when the time came, they could work together, each displaying their strengths.

The two experts used countless ingenious and unexpected moves. If it were any other expert in their place, they would be struggling to survive, unable to focus on anything else. However...

Xiao Sheng was not just anyone; he was Xiao Sheng. With his "Heart Net" already spread, he anticipated the enemy's moves. Every punch and palm strike he made was aimed at the enemy's most vulnerable points. No matter how fierce or skillful the attacks of the Yin Empress and the Devil Marshal were, they were ineffective. Often, they had to change their moves before completing them. Even with two against one, they couldn't gain the upper hand.

Xiao Sheng was confident and handled the situation with ease. Moreover, he had the leisure to observe all around. Under the coverage of the "Heart Net," Xiao Sheng clearly "heard" that there was a hidden threat three meters below his feet in the river bottom.

No need to guess; it was definitely the Evil King, who had rescued the Yin Empress that day.

The Evil King, the Yin Empress, and the Devil Marshal! The three top experts of the Devil Sect, for the first time, joined forces, forming an unprecedented and luxurious lineup to launch this nearly flawless assassination against Xiao Sheng.

The reasons were not hard to guess. First, there was an irreconcilable conflict between Xiao Sheng and the Devil Sect. Second, Xiao Sheng's existence itself was the greatest threat to the Devil Sect. Third, Xiao Sheng and the Twin Dragons had agreed that after excavating the Yang Gong Treasure House, the treasure would go to the Twin Dragons, and the Evil Emperor's Relic would go to Xiao Sheng. The Yin Empress must have known this. The Evil Emperor's Relic was the most precious treasure of the Devil Sect. Any member of the Devil Sect would want to reclaim it. This was the reason for the alliance of the Evil King, the Yin Empress, and the Devil Marshal.

However... this alliance, based on self-interest, was fragile. The Devil Marshal and the Yin Empress had already used their full strength, but the most powerful Evil King was still hiding.

Perhaps, the Evil King felt that the time was not right, so he was waiting. But it could also be that he had ulterior motives, wanting the Devil Marshal and the Yin Empress to fight to the death, and then he would reap the benefits.

Although Xiao Sheng had the "Heart Net," it was not omnipotent and couldn't read people's thoughts. Therefore, he didn't know the Evil King's true intentions. However, he wouldn't let the Evil King's plans succeed.

Casually blocking and parrying the attacks of the two experts, Xiao Sheng suddenly laughed and shouted, "What a lively scene, what a thrilling fight. But it's not enough. Evil King, there's no need to hide anymore. Come out quickly." He stomped his right foot hard.

"Greenish-blue Ripple—Lan Foot!" The ripple energy passed through the half-sunken boat and directly transmitted into the river, forming a crescent-shaped energy blade that slashed at the hidden Evil King.

The Evil King, a master of assassination and concealment from the Devil Sect's Heaven-Mending Pavilion, was the best in the world at these skills. Even the famous shadow assassin Yang Xuyan, who terrified countless people, had only learned a fraction of the Evil King's techniques. Therefore, the Evil King believed that no one could detect him while he was hidden on the riverbed.

However, he never expected that, without any warning, a killing intent would suddenly target him! The Lan Foot tore through the water, slashing at him with such speed that it left him unprepared. The Evil King was shocked and, without hesitation, immediately used the Illusory Demon Body Technique to barely avoid the attack.

At this point, the Evil King knew he couldn't hide anymore. He steeled his resolve, spread his arms, and shot out of the water like a rocket, breaking through the waves and soaring into the sky. Although his appearance was impressive, it couldn't change the fact that he was forced to reveal himself.

The members of the Devil Sect were all suspicious and wouldn't easily trust others. Although they temporarily joined forces against a common enemy, they were also wary of each other. If they sensed anything wrong, they would scatter immediately.

Xiao Sheng's words had already planted seeds of doubt in the hearts of the Yin Empress and the Devil Marshal. The Evil King knew that if he didn't take decisive action to dispel their doubts, the carefully planned ambush would fail, and Xiao Sheng would pick them off one by one, leaving all three of them dead.

Without hesitation, the Evil King immediately displayed the ruthless style of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion. He let out a low growl, his figure flickering as he appeared behind Xiao Sheng. His right hand formed a blade, gathering life and death energy, and aimed at Xiao Sheng's spine, slashing down with a fierce and deadly momentum.

The Indestructible Seal Technique—Facing Death to Enter the Netherworld!

(Note: The last sentence is a title of a technique, and the website link and page navigation text have been omitted for clarity.)