What woke Zhuo Yichen up in the middle of the night was the warmth and weight of two bodies on either side of him, as Bai Jiu and Ying Lei had brazenly decided to use him as their personal pillow. Yichen sighed, trying to ignore two extra pairs of limbs that didn't belong to him, and swore to himself that this was the first and last time he would share a bed with these two cuddling beasts.
Outside, the rain had stopped falling and the fire in the center of the shelter had gone out, leaving the room in shadows of soft golden glow from the protective talismans that guarded them. Yichen looked up and, for a moment, swore he saw something looking back at him from one of the wooden beams of the shelter, so he instantly sat up and jumped over Ying Lei, who was startled by his sudden movement, as was Bai Jiu, but Yichen focused on the ceiling, trying to find what he thought he had seen before.
"Wow, what's wrong, Xiao Zhuo?" Bai Jiu asked as he leaped out of bed in a heartbeat, along with Ying Lei and the girls opened the yellow curtains to see what had suddenly happened, having woken up as abruptly as the rest of their unit.
"There was something watching us from the wooden beam..." Yichen explains as he looks around the room, but saw nothing but the glow of the talismans and his sword that was still crystal clear, which meant that what he had seen before was either his imagination or the thing had vanished in smoke.
"Xiao Zhuo?" Wen Xiao asked, looking at him, and Yichen couldn't help but blush at the intensity of the stares, not just from her, but from everyone else as well.
"I swear I saw something watching us, but... maybe I was wrong..." He whispered as he looked away, embarrassed. Bai Jiu laughed out loud at the expression of his hero and cute blush. He was adorable in his eyes, and Wen Xiao giggle with equal amusement. Even though she was rudely woken up, he was so cute that she couldn't hold a grudge.
"What did you see?" Pei Sijing asked, sensing that he had accidentally seen her brother, who was watching over them while they slept.
"I... I'm not sure... a pair of blue eyes that almost glowed in the dark..." He said, and Ying Lei looked up briefly.
"Perhaps something up there reflected your eyes?" Ying Lei suggested, since the young man, as heir to the Bing Yi bloodline, also had pretty blue eyes.
"Unless I'm channeling divine energy, my eyes are dark blue... this thing has sky blue eyes. Well... maybe I was still half asleep, sorry for waking you up so suddenly..." He apologized, but Pei Sijing knew better than to make him think he was imagining things when he wasn't, and his instincts were very sharp.
"No, what you saw was the figure of my brother. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him sooner, but... it's not something I feel comfortable talking about." Wen Xiao noticed the pain in her usually stoic Commander face and gently took her hand.
"Xiao Sijing... you've already heard the tragic story of the Bai Jiu family. My father was also killed by a demon eight years ago, and my mother passed away from an illness she couldn't overcome when I was five. So, if you want to talk... we'll listen attentively. We're your unit, your new family, and we're here to help you with whatever you need." She said so gently that Pei Sijing was deeply moved, and tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Come out, Didi." Sijing whispered and a swirl of golden smoke came out of her magic pouch in an incorporeal form, then gradually turned solid until a tall man with sky blue eyes, short hair tied in a ponytail, with long bags on both sides of his young face, with a dark headband tied on his forehead and dressed in dark robes stood right in front of them.
"Is him a... ghost?" Bai Jiu asked as he subconsciously grabbed Zhuo Yichen's hair bells, lightly tugging on them as he took a few steps back. The handsome young man smiled at the young healer, trying not to scare him further, and his sister reached over and grabbed his arm. It wasn't a warm touch anymore, but at least she could still touch him nevertheless.
"Yes and no. Technically he is dead, as he no longer has a mortal body, but his soul is still alive, just attached to another body, made of wood." She explained and they looked at each other a little lost as to how such a thing could happen. With their divine blood, things that normally don't work on ordinary humans might actually be possible for them, but still, a living soul attached to a wooden body was a little... crazy.
"He's three years younger than me, and when he turned twenty-five, like any other demon hunter, he arrived at the Citadel to fulfill his duty. In his second year here, something happened in the inner ring. A very strong fox demon took human form and managed to deceive the hunters patrolling the ring. He was able to bypass the inner ring and enter the second. There he killed several units and ours was among them. I was the only one who survived, but I was badly wounded and used what was left of my divine power to bind my brother's soul to a piece of ancient wood before he died. In a way, he could now be considered a demon, since the wood I used in my despair was already on its way to becoming a cultivated demon. But still, I managed to do the impossible with a forbidden spell for which I was punished..."
"Punish? But why? It wasn't your fault the other hunters were deceived. It's so unfair..." Bai Jiu said as he approached the young man, releasing Yichen's bells.
"It was their mistake, but what I did wasn't exactly encouraged, since binding a soul to a demonic tree is forbidden for more than one reason."
"But still... it was an emergency..." Ying Lei tried to show sympathy, but didn't know what to say.
"It is forbidden, but if I were in your place and my brother was dying right in front of me, no matter the reason... I would have done whatever it took to save him, even if it put me behind bars." Yichen said as he looked at the young man kindly, and Pei Sijing felt very grateful to have them all as her unit.
"Even though I did do something prohibited, my punishment was light, as I was only sent back to the city until I was called up for this unit."
"Then I'm glad my father was so kindhearted. Xiao Sijing, we'll take good care of your little brother as well, so don't worry, he can come out and stay with us whenever he can and wants." Wen Xiao let her know and hugged her for a moment, before something unexpected happened.
A strong shock wave hit the shelter flaring the protective talismans like red flames, making them shine deadly crimson, while the hit of the energy wave sent them sprawling to the floor, although not internally hurt, thanks to the barrier that surrounded the shelter.
The first one to get up was Zhuo Yichen and he hastily took the Cloud Light Sword, which had burst to life with blinding brightness and went out to see just what happens. He used his divine power to enchant his vision and he gasped in shock to see that very far in the distant a demonic storm had brewed, more or less in where the inner ring was and his heart beat with a kind of fear he had never experience before.
"Yixuan..." It was fear for his brother who should be around that area and the others gasped in equal shock when they saw the mass of red and blue energy ravaging the land in the distance. Even if they could not see exactly what was happening there, the ominous clouds, illuminated by purple and red lightning, as well as the energy released, so fierce and powerful, they all knew that more than one great demon was at the center of it all.
"Commander, what's going on?" Bai Jiu asked as he watched in fear at the gathering storm and the force of the demonic energy that seemed to absorb everything around it, causing the air to crackle with electricity, pressure, and two types of imposing essence he had never felt in his short life. It was a terrifying power even from where they stood, so far from the epicenter.
"Great demons..." Pei Sijing whispered.
"Zhu Yan..." Yichen whispered, gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his hand turned pale, drained of the blood pounding wildly in his heart.
"I need to go, my brother must be in there somewhere." Yichen said and Bai Jiu instinctively grabbed him by the arms in fear that he would indeed go and face something they were definitely not prepared to even come close to.
"Please don't go, that power surpasses ours by a landslide! We can't go there as we are now..." Bai Jiu almost pleaded, but Wen Xiao also knew how he felt and had to admit that she would have wanted to go there too, even if her power was just a pebble in a vast ocean.
"My father is there too. This isn't good. Legend has it that every few hundred years, another great demon crosses the gate to our world and wreaks havoc. The last time it happened was three hundred years ago, and now he's back, in our time. His coming is described in the old scrolls like the fall of the divine beasts that open the door to the gods war, a calamity. It is said that by comparison, the great demon known as Zhu Yan is a passive demon, which is why no one can tell why nor understand his constant stay at the gate... and they will battle for days." Wen Xiao said, almost entranced, as she gazed into the distance.
"There's nothing passive about any of those two demonic energies. Ying Lei, may I use your teleportation incense burner?" Yichen asked the man beside him, who looked at him with mixed feelings.
"It won't do you any good, unless you've been inside the inner circle before, because I sure haven't." Ying Lei said, expecting a protest from the young man, but he didn't say anything else, just staring into the distance, frustrated at being too far away to be of any help to his brother.
"I know a place in the second ring, it's a high cliff, not too close but not too far either from where we can get a better view of what's going on. I know that both you and Wen Xiao will want to help your love ones who are doing their best out there, but I assure you that in such chaos, no demon hunter will get close, so rest assured that your brother and Wen Xiao's father will be fine for now. Once things unfold one way or another we will return to where we should be and wait for instructions. Is that alright with all of you?" She asked and the rest nodded in agreement with her.
Thus, Ying Lei instructed the Commander how to activate and channel her divine energy into the portal and they all gathered together to be teleported to the place she was referring to. Once there, everyone gasped at the ferocity of what looked like a battle between high-ranking demons and the terror that the vision burned into their hearts.
⨳⨳⨳⨳ Li Lun/Zhu Yan ⨳⨳⨳⨳
Zhu Yan was on high alert the precise moment he sensed the concentration of dark energy at the gate of his demonic world. It was a strong, ancient and immovable power that he knew all too well and had to deal with every few hundred years. Honestly, he had expected that their duel would come after a few more years, but no, he had to come to bother him just at the moment when he was excited to meet someone who had aroused his interest a lot. How awful it was that now that he wanted to appear trustworthy and inconspicuous, he would be forced to show humans his true nature as a great demon once more, now that he was one step away from becoming a demon god. He sighed.
"Li Lun... are you here to challenge me again? Can't we schedule this in another year or two?" Zhu Yan asked once the figure of a handsome man show up, dressed in black, with long black hair flowing down his back, fair skin, tall, slender, with beautiful dark eyes that matched his long eyebrows, imposing and self-confident, as he had always been, even when they were still friends.
"Of course not. Why, is something good finally happening to you? Did you fall for one of the humans you cherish so much? Get real, humans and demons don't mix."
"I disagree. They are quite interesting and to be honest, some of them are quite beautiful."
"Disgusting. No human could ever compare with the beauty of a demon."
"Again, I disagree, demons change shape to resemble the ethereal beauty of the gods. Humans were created to look like the gods."
"Which is Nuwa's biggest failure if you ask me. Those demon hunters in the distance are nothing more than trash. Maybe I can kill a few of them along with you this time around."
"We have our rules. No killing humans when we duel."
"Ying Long died a long time ago, so why do we need to obey his rules? The human world should have been ours ages ago. It's only your stubbornness that had prevented the rest of us from taking what is ours."
"You're wrong. The human world was created by the gods, and it's their choice who ends up living in it."
"We are stronger! It was our world before it became theirs!"
"True, but it was our fault we lost it. Ying Long warned us several times not to kill humans, not to taint the lands, not to wage war among ourselves, and not to oppose the gods. We started the war and now faced the consequences."
"Why should we be trapped in a realm with far fewer resources than the human world? We deserve better... Ying Long betrayed us all..."
"The demons betrayed their god, who tried to protect us from the gods' wrath for centuries until he could no longer prevent what we brew, and yet he died to give us a realm of our own where we could thrive without harming others."
"It's not as beautiful as the world humans inherit!"
"Yes, but it had everything we needed. We are demons, beasts, and plants that cultivated for centuries, needing no food, shelter, or sleep. We can do almost anything with our spells, rain won't touch our skin, wind won't dirty our clothes, cold won't make us shiver, and water won't drown us. We only need our demonic energy to continue cultivating to the next level, and we have plenty of it in our demon realm."
"However, this rift still unites our worlds, it is here to give us freedom."
"The rift exists because the divine beast Cheng Huang betrayed Nuwa, nearly brought about the destruction of our realm, and stole the mending stone to close the gate before Nuwa and Bing Yi could seal it."
"I see you will still not listen to reason. You rather kill your own kind, like your father before you."
"I follow my heart, just as you follow yours, and I haven't laid a hand on a demon that born in this forest that didn't try to kill me first. It's the only reason I let them fight the humans, as it not my place to punish something that was created here, but I also won't allow you to invade what isn't yours. My father, Ying Long, entrusted me with guarding this gate until it's fully closed. Even if I have to go against someone I once called a friend, my blood ties will remain stronger, as will the merit of his cause and sacrifice."
"Then you will die here, Zhu Yan."
"You can always try me, Li Lun. Let me see if you can make your words come true."
"I have grown stronger over the centuries, Zhu Yan. You can say that I am already at the level of a divine beast."
"That's fine, as I am at the brink to became a god. Do your worst Li Lun, see if you can truly defeat me and conquer this world." As they stare at each other, a palpable tension descends upon the Forest of Convergence and electrifies the air, permeated with an ominous energy that vibrates between realms. Zhu Yan cast a containment spell several miles away from where they were to ensure that no humans would interfere and that the chaos that was about to ravage the land would not reach the Citadel, or beyond the inner ring.
The trees, ancient sentinels of that mystical place, stand tall and twisted, their gnarled branches intertwined like fingers grasping the sky. Shafts of moonlight filter through the dense canopy, casting a kaleidoscope of shadows across the foggy forest floor, where the very essence of demonic energy and chaos churns.
A dull rumble echoes through the forest, heralding the clash of demons. Zhu Yan, shrouded in a swirling mist of crimson energy, stands with lethal grace. He stood tall and imposing, his form cloaked in an aura of endless demonic energy that pulsated like a living entity. His claws gleamed menacingly in the dim light, sharp as obsidian blades. His eyes glow like crimson rubies as he calls upon his power. Dark tendrils of boundless demonic energy dance around him like flames licking through kindling. With a swift motion, he unleashes a deadly, one-word spell.
"Raise!" And a wave of destructive force rips out, leveling the undergrowth and leaving scorched earth in its wake and the power surged upwards, creating a demon of tangle branches, charged with his demonic energy, crimson and deadly to signal the start of their fight. That should be more than enough to warn the demon hunters in that part of the forest to get away as far as they can.
Across from him, Li Lun responded with an unyielding calmness that belied his own formidable power. Dark vines snake beneath his feet, responding to his will with unnerving sensitivity as he did the same creating a colossal demon made of vines, then send them back down towards Zhu Yan with unnerving speed. As they reached Zhu Yan, they twisted and curled violently around his limbs, seeking to restrain him.The forest echoed with their battle and the rustling of leaves caught in whirlwinds conjured by Li Lun's fierce will.
He summoned gusts that swirled through the trees, scattering leaves like confetti in a chaotic celebration of nature's fury. But Zhu Yan was relentless. He summoned a powerful seal etched into the ground beneath him, the spell glowing fiercely as it absorbed the ambient energy around them.
"Consume!" Zhu Yan roared, breaking free from Li Lun's grasp as he unleashed a torrent of energy back at his foe. A wave of searing energy surges forward, colliding with Li Lun's defensive vines that twist and coil protectively around him. The impact sends splinters flying as bark erupts from nearby trees like shrapnel.
The forest seems to hold its breath as these two great demons engage in their cataclysmic duel. The weather grows increasingly unstable, dark clouds loom overhead, crackling with latent energy, as if the heavens themselves anticipate the battle. A fierce wind lashes through the trees, carrying with it fragments of their furious spells. Leaves torn from the branches swirl around them like a doomed dome. Zhu Yan's claws gleam menacingly as he frees himself from Li Lun's vines, counterattacking with another spell.
"Bind!" This time it's not just pure energy, but an intricate seal that surrounds Li Lun's limbs with glowing runes of power before he can react. However, Li Lun smiles defiantly, his small drum drumming firmly at his side, a rhythm that resonates with dark power. He strikes its surface with fervor, unleashing a shock wave that shatters Zhu Yan's seals into glowing particles that scatter into nothingness.
"Your strength is admirable, great demon Zhu Yan." Li Lun taunts amidst the chaos. His eyes flash with determination as he summons even more vines to trap Zhu Yan once more, but Zhu Yan's red energy causes them to explode into thousands of harmless pieces of wood. Then Li Lun struck his drum once more, and dark demonic energy reverberated through the ground and sent stronger shock waves towards Zhu Yan, who created his own shield to withstand the powerful force and cause it to bounce off somewhere else again and again.
With every exchange, blows and spells, sparks fly and shadows dance across their faces, illuminated by flashes of lightnings from the storm their power unleashed. Each clash sends tremors through the whole forest wide and far, a reminder that they are fighting not only with each other, but also for control of the land that unites their worlds. Between swirls of demonic energy, the moon could be seen between dark clouds like a celestial audience witnessing this epic battle between two formidable demons whose powers threaten to tear apart the stability of both realms.
As darkness clashed against darkness, sparks flew and bursts of energy lit up the forest like fireworks against the night. Zhu Yan's demonic power surged once more as he gathered his strength for one final strike. Usually, he held back to give Li Lun more time to show his strength and growth, but this time Zhu Yan was impatient and wanted to end their fight in just a few hours instead of a few days.
"Struck!" With this command, a burst of pure energy erupted, a force so powerful that it shook the roots of the ancient trees surrounding them. Li Lun attempted to counter it with another whirlwind of his own demonic power, but he was too late. Zhu Yan's spell completely engulfed him in blinding light before crashing down on him like a tidal wave.
The impact threw Li Lun backward into a cloud of leaves and debris, collapsing under the weight of defeat. As silence returned to the clearing, Zhu Yan stood victorious among the smoldering remains of their confrontation, the embodiment of unfathomable power in this realm where worlds converge. Above them, thunder rumbled ominously, as if even nature acknowledged his triumph.
"You lost, now go back where you belong." Zhu Yan said through gritted teeth, feeling both triumph and sorrow wash over him like waves crashing against rocky shores. Li Lun meets his gaze with unwavering resolve despite the fatigue etched into his features.
"You were always stronger... a shame." Li Lun whisper softly but firmly.
"But strength alone does not decide fate. One day you are destined to fail, and it will be your end along with the humans you never tire of protecting. Things are changing in the demon world. Something stirs, awakening from a deep slumber. I came to warn you, Zhu Yan, that your time is running out. Something bigger is coming, and it might be more than all of us can handle." In that momentary pause filled with unspoken words lies their story, a bond forged in an ancient friendship, now twisted in this tragic confrontation.
Zhu Yan sighed, tired, not from the fighting, for he had yet to use his full strength, but because, despite having protected humans for the last thirty-four thousand years, they still saw him as their greatest threat, and he was tired of it. He wanted to finally be a part of them, an integral part of them.
"Thank you for your warning, Li Lun... but no matter what happens, I can't leave, nor can I allow demons to destroy humanity, it's not right, and you know it. Before, we were close friends, and you were never interested in conquering others, never liked being around those who did, but when it came the time to choose your path, you left and joined the other demons, choosing to do what you didn't like before, and even trying your best to destroy me. With this warning, you're not concerned about my well-being, you're just worried that you've chosen the wrong path now in the long run, because things could go downhill in the demon world too."
"You're as cunning as ever, but what may come is too much for even you to handle... not alone that is." Li Lun said as he stood up.
"Then I should get help." Zhu Yan said as he looked at Li Lun as he did before their paths parted, with the affection of a friend he cherishes.
"I won't join forces with the humans, you are on your own."
"I never asked you for help and who said humans can't defend themselves? If you can't stand by my side, as you once did, then I'm sure someone else will be willing to risk their life to protect what's important."
"Even if you manage to subdue them, none of them have the strength to defeat you, let alone something stronger than you."
"Ah, but the gods are on my side... and they've left their gifts among them, and they're finally beginning to awaken."
"Stupid monkey... you are impossible." Li Lin rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"'Ape, for heaven's sake I'm a white ape.'" Li Lun snorted.
"Fine, soon to be white ape demon god... good luck, you will need it." Then Li Lun left, but not before discreetly leaving behind some of his infused leaves, as he had no intention of waiting another hundred years for their next encounter and Zhu Yan rushed himself to meet with the one that will likely change his fate.
AN: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the epic battle that lasted for hours.