The Steward Demonic Emperor

Bam!

With chips flying every which way, Yan Mo watched his hands holding a halberd and a stick.

Across from him was Zhuo Fan's red glowing right and a ridiculing smile.

[For god's sake, what is that bloody body made of to shatter a high-rated demonic treasure?]

Zhuo Fan's belligerent display of unbridled power had left everyone in awe. Even Ethereal Stage body cultivators could pull off what he did…

"My 9th-grade demonic treasure, my twin halberds…" Yan Mo's morning got cut short as he heard whistling.

Zhuo Fan's savage claw was relentless, scaring him into throwing the other halberd at it.

After a clank, Yan Mo put much-needed distance between them, for his safety and his nerves.

[So that's why my armor shook before. It was warning me that this freak's freaky arm is ridiculous. What kind of body can even smash 9th-grade demonic treasures? Letting the claw land on my body will run me through armor and all!]

Zhuo Fan was coming again. His only way of flipping the tables was by using such a move that overcame the body, a soul attack!

Not like Zhuo Fan would let him go through the motions of unleashing an art of such magnitude with how close he stuck.

[That leaves only one choice…]

Yan Mo chuckled, [Sigh, as the best talent in Hellion Flame, I'm now reduced to using cheap tricks. It's all his fault for being so much of a weirdo.]

Yan Mo turned his back and flew down, his halberd aiming straight for Chu Qingcheng.

All were by themselves with worry, "Qingcheng…"

Chu Qingcheng couldn't move for her life.

She, however, had no fear, judging by that smile directed at the pursuing Zhuo Fan hot on his tail.

[Divine Eye of the Void's 1st stage, Shift!]

His right eye flashed golden and bamfed right in front of her.

Clang!

Zhuo Fan flicked the halberd away and watched the ever-smug Yan Mo with a cold eye.

"Hi-hi-hi, I just knew it. You care about her. I bet the show you put on in the inn was more real than fake." Yan Mo snickered.

Zhuo Fan said, "As if. This is between me and you, not a fight for another to interfere. And I came here to save them. Where's all my respect go if I just let you harm them?"

"Is that so?"

Yan Mo gave a taunting smile and gave his weapon a flick sideways. The windblade struck home and a Mystical Heaven Sect's disciple wailed as he burned to ashes.

Yan Mo mocked, "You call this helping?"

Zhuo Fan's face was cold as ice.

"Hi-hi-hi, the more you explain the deeper you bury yourself. Do you think I can't tell you care about this one? When I threw myself at her, you could've bid your time and used the demonic creature to kill me in one strike. So why then did you choose to miss it? He-he-he, and don't tell me a mastermind like you would make such an elementary mistake; have some self-respect."

Yan Mo grinned.

Zhuo Fan found silence to be golden. Chu Qingcheng's eyes looked upon him with the sweetest gaze she could muster and a bright smile.

Whoosh~

The halberd swung, targeting Chu Qingcheng behind Zhuo Fan, who squinted as he acted.

It only worked to prove Yan Mo's theory, "Ha-ha-ha, she's your weakness for sure. Now you're done for as you've committed the greatest sin for a demonic cultivator, love. While I like her, there's no way I'd let her drag me down."

Whoosh~

All his attacks targeted Chu Qingcheng and Zhuo Fan blocked some, while others struck him.

Chu Qingcheng saw the dozens of wounds on him with pain. Though she knew from his firm eyes that any urge to leave her would go unanswered.

Nothing could change Zhuo Fan's mind.

Yan Mo snickered in childish glee, using her to strike at him.

It was now Zhuo Fan's turn to be pressed.

The women were touched to the core, [What a man, even a demon he still remains to protect her with his life. How many righteous dao companions are there who would do the same?]

Even the feisty Dan'er looked at him with different eyes.

The fiends were panicking and cursing, [Screw the broad and get your head back in the game by killing that prick. Free us, damn it!]

Zhuo Fan knew this was bad and his right flashed red.

A relentless force came at Yan Mo who sidestepped. Zhuo Fan used this chance to grab Chu Qingcheng's waist and fly away to a safer place.

Yan Mo wasn't going to sit by and let it happen.

He came at him again, while Zhuo Fan deflected the best he could. Yan Mo hid feints and strikes among his moves so that a third would go for Zhuo Fan and the rest for Chu Qingcheng.

Yet he blocked every one of them.

The rest watched in worry and shock. Zhuo Fan was holding his own in a fight while having someone in his arms. He wasn't backing down one bit.

Mystical Heaven Sect's elders admired him. Even more so as Chu Qingcheng never had a scratch on her.

Yan Mo was pissed though.

He was using a woman to put Zhuo Fan into a corner, but the guy just wouldn't fall. Zhuo Fan could fight him despite all the chains around his neck.

It went as far as making him look bad. [That's the same as saying I'm useless!]

Sure, all demonic cultivators were devious and despicable. While the shame of losing was one thing, losing even as you tricked your opponent was even worse. The fact he was some big-shot talent only amplified the shame.

[Blast it all to hell, I was saving it for Wu Qingqiu, not this bastard.]

[You're really getting on my nerves here!]

Yan Mo fell back and Zhuo Fan did the same, placing Chu Qingcheng behind a barrier.

Just as two flames came at him. Zhuo Fan dodged one and met the other with his Ghostly Dragon Claw.

As the light show died down, Yan Mo was found floating above, with the blue and red snakes biting their tails and spinning behind him, feeding on each other.

The cave itself turned blue and red, growing hotter and hotter.

[Soul domain?]

The fiends and the elders jerked.

They figured Yan Mo was using Yin Yang Union Flame and thus had a fire soul, or the snake circle behind was his soul.

When in fact it was the worst move to take on, a soul domain. Just like Impermanence Five's Vicissitude Domain. In this domain, one was god.

Anyone caught within its range was at the whims of the user.

Zhuo Fan's frown deepened at last.

Even with the heaven dragon soul, he was fighting it out with an expert in the 5th layer Ethereal Stage. He had never tackled a domain to know if he'd come out on top.

And to make it worse…

Zhuo Fan glanced at Chu Qingcheng. He wanted her safe, which became moot the instant the domain was activated, his worry for her mounting.