Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 53: Foe or Friend

Wang Chuan's figure moved abruptly; as he unleashed his powers, he swiftly parted the clouds and mist, arriving before his adversary. A sharp, piercing sound rang out as Wang Chuan extended two fingers, sending a crimson arc like sword energy soaring through the air. This strike was far more formidable than the one he had used to defeat the first demon god, its edge dazzlingly sharp. In the blink of an eye, it traversed layer upon layer of void, descending upon its target.

The demon god dodged with lightning speed, his form flickering away as he raised his hand, summoning a surging river. Yet the mountains pressed down with the might of heaven and earth, settling quietly above the river's surface, halting its flow altogether. As Wang Chuan extended his five fingers again in a grasping motion, the demon god evaded just in time, his body darting like a fish, unpredictable and elusive, leaping away before the Dragon-Seizing Claw could ensnare him, dodging repeatedly.

Even he dared not face such power head-on. He could not guarantee that if the Dragon-Seizing Claw landed upon him, he would escape its grasp.

Demonic energy condensed, forming a fiendish spirit that, between the two, suddenly transformed into a small, five- or six-inch-long dragon, bounding and leaping joyfully around Wang Chuan. It attacked Wang Chuan several times, but each assault was repelled by his protective energy; nevertheless, it was enough to divert his focus.

With a clear, ringing sound, Wang Chuan’s thumb and forefinger seemed to pinch something in midair. He raised his arm gently, halting it, then flicked his middle finger sharply. A crisp note like flowing spring water sounded, and a thin strand of sword energy suddenly appeared between heaven and earth, as if a giant's hair connected sky and ground. The sword energy, minuscule and ever more refined, moved as he willed, under his perfect control. Suddenly, with several swift, clawing motions, the razor-sharp energy sliced the little dragon into pieces, its lethality terrifying to behold—all accomplished by a mere flick of Wang Chuan’s fingers.

Once again, his figure leaped and shifted, five fingers clawing in relentless pursuit. The surviving martial artists were dumbstruck. The demon god’s power was such that a mere breath could scatter them like autumn leaves. Yet Wang Chuan, at his level, was now able to chase the demon god across the battlefield.

How could there exist such a monstrous talent in the world? His strength seemed inexhaustible, endless.

The two great masters displayed their cunning time and again, weaving through the demon god’s ancient stronghold.

“Wang Chuan, perhaps you do not know. This demon god’s ancient estate is like a boundless world, hiding all manner of beings within,” the demon god sneered coldly at him.

A crash and a roar—the world began to collapse and fade. From deep beneath the earth surged a river of demonic energy, its strange waters carrying an intensely corrosive force. Any ordinary grandmaster would have long since been dissolved by it. Yet Wang Chuan seemed utterly unaffected; his inner powers continuously refined and strengthened themselves.

The demon god hovered with him above the river’s surface, a trace of unease passing between them, lingering in hesitation. The appearance of Wang Chuan had thrown all into uncertainty, and the rebellion of the Void Saint was no trivial matter either.

They had dispatched two demon gods and still could not open the passage through the ancient estate. Even the deployment of the Sacred River, such a dreadful weapon, was suppressed by Wang Chuan’s iron hand.

This man truly possessed the bearing of a celestial sage, a saintly body, slaying gods and demons alike! How had Wang Chuan become so fierce, so quickly? Was he always like this? The demon clan was known for its intelligence and constant scheming to reconquer the divine land; they were intimately familiar with all intelligence regarding Wang Chuan.

Yet his earth-shattering display had utterly overturned their understanding. The other demon god was equally aghast.

He was simply too formidable, striking without mercy, even refining human martial artists without hesitation—yet on the surface, he appeared so gentle. Was he truly a sage from ancient times? Even Cang Chen’s group shuddered in his presence.

Floodwaters from the demon god’s estate surged out, soon submerging the world. The remaining survivors were swept away completely; even the demon clan, driven by the laws of the place, were forced to flee. Only Wang Chuan, the Void Saint, and the two demon gods remained.

The world was now an endless ocean, submerged and cleansed. The demon god’s figure flickered within the weak waters, striving to move deeper. Around him, a faint black radiance appeared, merging seamlessly with the surrounding currents, rendering the waters almost no obstacle at all.

Wang Chuan could only fend off the strange currents with his protective energy, rapidly forming hand seals, shattering some of the hidden streams as he progressed. The long river was parted and pushed aside; the Sacred River of the demon realm was displaced, and even mountains were swept away.

Beneath the surface, many treacherous undercurrents lurked—ferocious, whirling vortices, each easily capable of shredding the unwary.

“Break!”
“Open!”
Again and again, Wang Chuan wielded the Dragon-Seizing Claw, grasping the waters, forging a path. Each strike carried the force of a hundred thousand stampeding horses, carving out a channel just wide enough for him to leap through, moving deeper time after time. His speed rivaled that of the demon god.

Suddenly, under the sea, a waterstorm erupted, but Wang Chuan moved even faster, as if traversing the void itself, borrowing the force to plunge deeper. At the grandmaster realm, he was already attuned to the harmony of heaven and man, able to commune with the world.

And within this spiritual resonance, Wang Chuan sensed a powerful force slumbering in the heavy depths of the sea, a force no less formidable than the crushing weight of the world. Even in this demon god’s estate—a small world within a world—the pressure grew ever more intense the deeper he went.

This was not merely the weight of water, but rather the sea itself had become unimaginably dense; Wang Chuan sensed immediately. It was as if, of two drops of equal volume, one weighed ten times the other, its density far greater.

Suddenly, Wang Chuan realized that the entire sea was tenfold more condensed; each drop heavy as gold or silver. A torrent of such countless, condensed droplets—how vast its mass!

And below, he saw statues formed over countless millennia, each gripping a trident. Their power was immense, not beneath that of demon gods.

Even the Sacred River of the demon world could not compare—what was this place beneath the sea? When did these waters come to be, to have entombed so many mighty beings? The ancient demon god’s estate was far from simple.

“Dragon-Seizing Claw…”
Wang Chuan unleashed his powers again and again, endlessly, until his vital energy seemed nearly exhausted. That day would come, when he too would perish here, and the demon clan would seize the opportunity to invade. Yet for now, he must maintain his advantage.

“Wang Chuan, Wang Chuan—what a pity, the peerless prodigy of ten millennia, and yet you too shall be buried here. You have spurned chance after chance; you could have left this last time, but chose not to.”

A cold sneer echoed out. Another demon god was approaching slowly.

As he spoke, the waters at the sea bottom parted of their own accord. He strode forward with the bearing of a dragon or tiger.

“In the days of the war between gods and demons, this was but an ordinary lake,” the demon god recounted quietly. “As gods and demons battled, it became a sea. Countless sages and demon gods fell, and it became a forbidden land. Over millions of years, it absorbed vast spiritual and demonic energies, until now even saints fear it.”

“Wang Chuan, today you will be buried here, to sleep forever among these ancient heroes. How do you feel at this moment?”

Wang Chuan sneered. “Mere demon god, have all your years been wasted? Before, I was held back and did not deal with you—if you had any sense, you would have fled. Now, you dare show yourself again? Was the last lesson not enough? If you lack the strength, don’t act arrogant before me! You’re seeking your own death, do you understand? This time, you are finished! Even a place that has swallowed countless demon gods is not afraid of one more! Kneel and beg, and maybe I’ll spare your miserable life!”

“Insolence! You are too arrogant! Do you truly believe we have no way to deal with you?” the demon god thundered, his face pale, as if unable to believe such words. What right did the other have to be so brazen? Even in the ancient days of sages, today was different. These demon gods, dormant for millennia, were destined to reign supreme!

The second demon god’s eyes flashed, ready to strike, but at that moment, the sea began to contract inward. In the void, something seemed on the verge of appearing. From the depths, a black banner ten thousand feet long emerged, billowing as if in a breeze.

“This place has steeped in demonic power for ages, giving birth to the Eternal Demon Banner—the greatest treasure of the ancient demon estate!” the Void Saint appeared beside him, speaking coldly.

He disdained the other treasures outside. This time, having brought so many spirit stones from the demon realm, he had already surpassed the worth of anything outside. The original plan had been to set up a grand array and open a passage to the divine land, but Wang Chuan had ruined it. Their conflict had ended with all their spiritual energy and power silently absorbed by something beneath the sea, giving rise to the Eternal Demon Banner.

“Truly the work of heaven and earth—marvelous beyond compare!” the Void Saint exclaimed in awe.

“I have a question,” Wang Chuan asked curiously. “Which side are you on now?”

“Who can say such things for sure? Wang Chuan, do you trust me more, or do they? Where interests align, there is camaraderie,” the Void Saint smiled. “That demon banner—I desire it as well.”

“Then let’s each rely on our own abilities,” Wang Chuan declared resolutely. If the three joined forces, there would be no hope at all—he had best escape while he could. No more hesitation. The Void Saint was no longer what he once was; in this short time, freed from the shackles of the demon clan, he had reached an unfathomable realm. Times had changed!

Wang Chuan had entered the ancient estate to hone himself, and so had his counterpart. Moreover, his opponent’s power was even more destructive. Now, with a mere breath, he could move mountains and divert sacred rivers.

Wang Chuan was no longer concerned that he would side with the demon gods—otherwise, he would be betraying his own path. He was a proud man; the road to the Great Dao is one of unwavering resolve!

At that moment, the sea pressed down fiercely upon them. Wang Chuan was forced to summon his powers again, shifting instantly through the barrier.

He plunged into the depths of the sea, drawing all the remaining demonic energy into himself and instantly refining it. Heaven and earth fused, demon gods fused—it all happened in a single instant.

His own strength surged.

The demon god, too, was dragon-like in his vigor, reveling in the depths like the fiercest wild beast.