Chapter 162: Slaying the Old Fiend

"Though I am reluctant to offend your Gu family and the Feng family, someone offered a price I simply could not refuse. What a pity. The two of you are quite remarkable talents; given time, you might well have stepped into the Shattering Void Realm."

A strange smile crept onto Old Demon Jialou's face, the killing intent in his eyes utterly unmasked.

"Snuffing out geniuses is my absolute favorite pastime."

Old Demon Jialou extended a massive hand, his life force surging violently. Terrifying murderous intent pierced the firmament as ghostly winds howled angrily.

"Hmph, pathetic. The Divine Court is nothing more than an ant compared to the Divine Son Alliance."

Not far away, Cheng Yan wore a cold smirk. Gu Renfeng and Feng Yu held lofty positions within the Divine Court; had the two of them fallen, it would have dealt an incalculable blow to the entire organization. This collaboration with the Asura race was well worth it.

A demonic hand blotted out the sky, murderous intent rising fiercely. Despair washed over the faces of Gu Renfeng and Feng Yu. Even at their peak, the two of them together were no match for Old Demon Jialou alone, let alone in their current state. With Cheng Yan standing by to seal their fate, this was an inescapable death trap. Unless Yun Xi intervened, there was simply no escaping this calamity.

"Die."

Old Demon Jialou licked his lips, his twisted grin widening as he regarded the two as good as dead.

"Snuffing out geniuses? I've never been a fan. It's old-timers like you that I prefer to slaughter."

Just then, a chilling voice echoed across the firmament. Rosy rays of light lit the heavens as a gigantic finger descended, crushing the ninefold heavens beneath its weight. Imbued with boundless might, the void shattered into dust with a crisp crack.

Lin Fan had finally arrived. Fury surged within him; he had never imagined the Divine Son Alliance could be so utterly audacious as to collude in secret with the Asura race. Their crimes warranted a thousand deaths.

"Who goes there?!"

Old Demon Jialou's expression shifted drastically, horror flashing across his features.

The bloodline within his body trembled in sheer terror. This dread signified that the unseen entity possessed not only monstrous strength, but a bloodline far more noble than his own.

"To think the Asura race would dare show themselves so brazenly within the mortal domain of the human race. Has the situation in the Tianwu Region really deteriorated to such a pathetic state? Or have I been away from the world for so long that I've fallen completely out of touch?"

Lin Fan disguised his voice; he was not yet ready to reveal his return to the world.

"Senior, this is a conflict solely between the Asura race and humankind. I beseech you not to interfere."

Old Demon Jialou's expression contorted wildly as he nimbly sidestepped the casually pointed finger. Cupping his fists in mid-air, he offered a respectful bow, his face fraught with deference.

"A conflict between humankind and the Asura race? What is this? Do you presume I am not human?"

Lin Fan's voice drifted elusively across the void, impossible to pin down, a hint of curiosity dancing across his obscured features.

"Naturally not. To be frank with Senior, I possess the royal bloodline of the Asura race. Yet the moment Senior appeared, my bloodline was suppressed. This proves that Senior's bloodline far surpasses my own. While humankind certainly boasts many individuals of supreme power, they are ultimately born of mortal flesh and bone. It is impossible for them to possess a lineage so noble. Therefore, I can only surmise that Senior hails from one of the secluded ancient clans."

Old Demon Jialou's attitude was exceptionally earnest, entirely devoid of his previous arrogance and bravado. The Asura race held the strong in utmost reverence, particularly those endowed with noble bloodlines.

"So that's how it is. What a shame, however, for I am indeed human. And the worst mistake you could possibly have made was agreeing to ally with the Divine Son Alliance."

Lin Fan struck without warning. A black long枪 materialized, hurtling downward like a shooting star to skewer Old Demon Jialou directly.

"Boom!"

A deafening shockwave reverberated across the firmament. Old Demon Jialou unleashed his power to the absolute limit. Two of his heads burst open, transforming into volatile energy, while his six arms brandished various weapons in a blur of motion, desperately attempting to parry Lin Fan's assault.

"They say the Asura race is treacherous, and it seems they were right. You must have prepared yourself for a fight long in advance."

Lin Fan let out a light chuckle, seemingly unsurprised that Old Demon Jialou could muster such immense power. Yet his hands moved with relentless speed; a gigantic phoenix soared across the vault of heaven, its wings spreading hundreds of feet wide. A brilliant ray of prismatic light erupted from its beak, ruthlessly suppressing its target.

"You—are you a powerhouse of the Phoenix Clan?!"

Old Demon Jialou's expression twisted in horror, thick with dread.

The Phoenix Clan's renown spanned far and wide; in the ancient era, their name was known to all. Their bloodline was incomparably noble, second only to the ancient gods, ranking near the very top even among the true spirits beneath the divine pantheon.

Unleashing even greater power, Old Demon Jialou roared at the heavens, fighting with every ounce of his being. His entire body burned as he actively tapped into his royal bloodline.

Yet it was utterly futile. Lin Fan's combat prowess was comparable to the Fourth Decay of the Heavenly Human Realm, whereas Old Demon Jialou, even while burning his bloodline, barely touched the early stage of the Third Decay. He was simply no match for the former.

A golden fist that seemed to suppress the cosmos plummeted from the sky. Despite his desperate, full-powered resistance, Old Demon Jialou could not block it.

His final head was obliterated, and his physical body shattered into countless fragments. An Asura overlord of the Second Decay of the Heavenly Human Realm had fallen. Throughout the entire process, Lin Fan never once showed his true form, remaining steadfastly in the void, having done nothing more than extend a palm.

A sickening stench of blood filled the air. Old Demon Jialou's shattered remains plunged heavily to the earth, a ghastly and tragic sight.

An oppressive silence descended over the scene. Gu Renfeng and his companion, alongside Cheng Yan and his entourage, wore drastically altered expressions, though their internal reactions varied wildly.

The former were ecstatic, itching to roar with laughter toward the heavens, while the latter wore bitter, shifting expressions, their eyes darting about as they hurriedly calculated their next move.

"Many thanks to Senior for saving our lives."

Gu Renfeng and Feng Yu cupped their fists in a deep bow, overwhelmed with gratitude.

High in the void, Lin Fan reflexively rubbed his nose before shaking his head.

If these two realized it was he who had rescued them, they would likely be consumed by regret, wishing they could swallow the word "Senior" right back down.

At that thought, the smile on Lin Fan's face became impossible to conceal.

"Senior..."

At this moment, Cheng Yan finally spoke up, but before he could finish, Lin Fan cut him off.

"You colluded with the Asura race?"

Lin Fan's voice was frigid, laden with killing intent.

He looked down from on high upon the man who had repeatedly targeted him in the past, recalling how Cheng Yan had once adopted that very same condescending posture toward him.

"The tides turn; never bully a young man into poverty."

Lin Fan shook his head, feeling a sudden surge of sentimentality.

"It is not as it seems! We merely engaged in a bit of cooperation with the Asura race—it was all just a show, a pretense."

Cheng Yan hastily denied the accusation, cold sweat beading on his forehead as tension gripped him.

Old Demon Jialou was immensely powerful, far outclassing him, yet even he had fallen. Naturally, Cheng Yan was even less of a match for Lin Fan.

"Sophistry! Senior, Cheng Yan and his faction have long been in bed with the Asura race; we simply lacked the tangible proof until now. I beg Senior to act and rid our human race of this scourge!"

Feng Yu suddenly stepped forward, rage blazing across his features as he spoke with righteous indignation.

"It seems everyone has been through a lot; even Feng Yu's temperament has changed."

Lin Fan nodded inwardly. At a single glance, he could tell Feng Yu was leveraging his power, hoping to use him to eliminate Cheng Yan.

Yet this transformation was a sign of true maturation. Previously, Lin Fan had found Feng Yu rather flighty and impulsive; he simply hadn't expected a mere year to bring about such a radical transformation.

"Is what he says true?"

Lin Fan spoke once more. Though he named no names, everyone present understood precisely to whom he referred.