Clang! Clang!

Logan pressed forward relentlessly, pursuing the demon with unwavering determination. His blade flashed again and again, slicing through the air with deadly intent — but not a single strike managed to leave even the slightest wound.

On the contrary... every time Logan attacked, the demon countered with terrifying force. Each blow it delivered left him more battered than before. At this rate, just a few more exchanges would be enough to bring him down for good.

The remaining family members watched the scene unfold, their hearts tightening with every passing moment. Pain and frustration filled their eyes. They wanted to step in — wanted to help — but didn’t know how.

Many of them were in higher realms than Logan. And yet... they felt utterly powerless.

"Everyone... we have to help the young master," Wei Zhong of the Zhong Family said, his voice firm despite the tension in his chest. "If he falls here, then everything we’ve fought for — everything we’ve sacrificed will be for nothing. Attack together!"

His words ignited a spark. One by one, whether martial sovereign or martial king, they nodded. They moved as one.

"Divine Punch!" Han Rui roared, surging forward as he unleashed a devastating strike.

The demon had just sent Logan flying when it turned its gaze toward him. Without even a hint of effort, it caught Han Rui’s fist mid-air. Its grip tightened.

Then...

With a casual motion, it pulled him in and flung him away like a sack of grain.

"Insects," the demon chuckled coldly.

Shen Lian followed close behind, her sword carving a sharp arc through the air as she aimed for the demon’s neck.

But the demon raised two fingers. And stopped the blade.

With a slight yank, it wrenched the weapon aside then delivered a single slap.

Shen Lian’s body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the distance.

More cultivators rushed in. Some attacked in perfect coordination, combining their techniques. Others struck with raw, overwhelming force. Powerful skills erupted one after another, shaking the very air.

But no matter what they tried... no matter how powerful their attacks were...

Everything fell short.

Before the demon, they were nothing more than children waving sticks.

It was as if...

The demon was merely playing with its toys.

Not far away, Feng Dao stood shoulder to shoulder with the other three family heads. After their failed efforts, Shen Lian and Wei Zhong were going for a combined attack now. Their expressions were grim as they raised their palms, gathering vast amounts of spiritual energy.

The air trembled violently.

The four streams of power converged — fusing into a single, overwhelming force.

Then...

They thrust it forward.

A beam of condensed energy surged toward the demon like a raging torrent.

The demon tilted his head toward them. It simply raised one hand.

The moment the attack collided with its palm...

It shattered.

The energy dispersed into the air like scattered sparks.

"What?!" Feng Dao’s eyes widened in horror.

"That attack... even someone three or four realms above us should have been severely injured by it! Does that mean... its cultivation is even higher than that?!"

Panic spread through the group. But what none of them noticed... Was the demon’s palm.

Beneath the surface, its flesh was decaying under the impact of their combined attack.

Only...

It was regenerating so rapidly... That it appeared as though it had taken no damage at all.

Feng Dao snapped out of his daze, his expression turning resolute. "Again! Keep attacking with everything you have left. Don’t hold back!"

The other three reacted instantly. Gritting their teeth, they pushed their spiritual energy to the limit, unleashing their strongest techniques once more.

The ground beneath them trembled violently.

Even space itself seemed unable to withstand the pressure — it twisted and warped under the overwhelming surge of power.

Meanwhile, Zola stood at a distance, watching everything with calm, unreadable eyes.

Logan moved again. He struck from behind, his blade cutting through the air toward the demon. But the creature didn’t even turn fully — its hand shifted slightly and deflected the attack with effortless ease, as though swatting away a nuisance.

At the same time, the four family heads continued gathering energy for their next strike.

The demon’s palm suddenly shot forward.

Thud!

It slammed into Logan’s chest. A vivid five-fingered mark bloomed instantly across his skin. His already tattered clothes tore further under the impact.

Logan was sent flying once again, blood spraying through the air in a crimson arc.

He crashed to the ground — right at Zola’s feet.

Logan struggled to rise. His hand pressed against the ground...

but slipped in his own blood.

He collapsed again.

Zola stepped closer, his gaze steady. "You can’t defeat it like this," he said calmly, his tone almost that of a teacher guiding a student.

"I... I know I’m weak..." Logan forced the words out, his voice hoarse.

Zola shook his head slightly. "It’s not because you’re weak," he said. "It’s because you lack what it takes to defeat a demon."

Logan’s eyes narrowed despite his condition.

"What do you mean?"

"You haven’t learned it yet."

"Learned what?"

Zola looked toward the demon, his expression unchanged. "To defeat a demon, you need a special kind of aura," he said. "It’s called Darkness-Purging Aura."

His voice remained calm but his words carried weight. "Without it... no matter how strong you become... You will never defeat a demon."

"Darkness-Purging Aura...?" Logan repeated softly. The words felt unfamiliar — he was certain he had never heard them before. And yet...

A strange sense of familiarity rose from deep within him. It was as if something buried in his very soul had been stirred — something ancient, something forgotten.

His heartbeat quickened. For a fleeting moment, even the pain in his battered body seemed to fade... replaced by a faint, indescribable resonance.

Zola raised his hand slightly.

A cool breeze swept across Logan’s battered body, gentle yet powerful. It lifted him off the ground as if guided by an invisible force.

"Are you certain you want me to do this?" Zola whispered. It seemed as though he was talking to Logan... but he wasn’t.

"Yes." The female voice echoed once more.