Chapter 146: Gate of Ascendants

Afa and Al froze mid-punch, their fists hanging in the air as they both turned to look to the side. A figure was speeding toward them.

“Divine Edict: Solar Flare Impact!”

A blazing surge of light swept over them like a storm from the heavens. The entire Void lit up as the rays streaked past the two Demon Lords.

Al and Afa were still reeling, struggling to process what had just happened, but the searing pain lancing through their skin broke the spell, forcing them to howl in agony.

“Damn it, what is this thing? It’s actually burning my skin! I’m roasting alive!” Al shouted.

Afa’s face twisted with pain, “Who did this? Come out and show yourself, I’ll kill you!”

A voice suddenly echoed above the two Demon Lords’ heads.

“Gentlemen, there’s something I want from you. Of course, I know you won’t agree, but I’m fine helping myself.”

Gu Xiaoyao appeared overhead, Skydome Sword in hand, standing tall and unfazed as he stared directly at the two Demon Lords below.

Afa let out a bewildered roar, “What the hell? It’s just you, kid? We weren’t even looking for you, and you show up on your own? Tired of living, are you!?”

Hanging from Afa’s neck was a golden orb—the Divine Crossing Orb. It was the very key needed to open the Gate of Ascendants.

The orb drew Gu Xiaoyao’s gaze. As he considered how to take it, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

Turning, he saw Xuyan, catching her breath at his side. “Xuyan, what are you doing here too?”

Xuyan grinned, “This concerns my freedom, doesn’t it? Of course I had to come. Besides, I can help!”

The two Demon Lords glared furiously up at this chatty pair. They felt completely ignored. It was a flat-out insult.

“You little brat! Just because our power’s suppressed, you think you can get cocky?” Afa yelled.

“You just keep poking at us again and again. If you make it out of here alive, we’ll kill ourselves on the spot!” Al bellowed.

Afa suddenly blinked, realizing something. “Wait—why should we be the ones to kill ourselves?”

Al cuffed Afa upside the head, huffing, “What do you know? Humans just like to say that sort of thing, doesn’t matter what it means.”

“Oh… is that so,” Afa said, rubbing his forehead, half convinced.

Al glared at Gu Xiaoyao, teeth grinding. “Enough! Kill him!”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Afa nudged Al with his elbow.

Al gave him a look. “Idiot, what are you doing? Attack! And don’t mess this up!”

Gu Xiaoyao watched this sudden shift in attitude and couldn’t help twitching his lips. He drew in a breath and coughed loudly.

With a taunting grin, he called, “What, weren’t you two about to kill me? Got the guts? Then come catch me!”

He swung his sword twice, sending two blades of sword qi slicing through the Void and landing heavy blows on Afa and Al, nicking their skin.

Stung by pain, the two Demon Lords forgot their squabbling. Wings flared, they shot into the sky, hot on his heels.

Gu Xiaoyao, having achieved his goal, patted himself down and darted away, vanishing into the distance, with the Demon Lords steaming after him in fierce pursuit.

The two bulky brutes had already gone all out fighting each other, exhausting themselves. Dragging their massive bodies, their strength faded as the chase dragged on.

Their speed dropped. Watching Gu Xiaoyao pull further ahead, their tongues lolled and they panted heavily.

“Damn, does that kid have unlimited energy? We’ve been flying forever and he’s still going!” Afa wheezed.

Al wiped the sweat from his brow. “Who knows what’s wrong with him! A whole day on the wing and I’m about to drop dead. The deeper we go, the heavier the suppression. Bloody hell—the Mysterious Man really favors the Human Race!”

As exhaustion set in and they debated taking a break, Gu Xiaoyao swooped back around and glided up alongside them.

With a lazy smile, Gu Xiaoyao called, “Hey there, getting tired? Want me to slow down and wait? If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as a yes.”

When Al and Afa realized it was really him, they stared in disbelief then snapped back to fury.

Al spluttered, “You little punk, you’re way too full of yourself. Just die already!”

Tail whipping, Al lunged at Gu Xiaoyao. Smirking, Gu Xiaoyao twisted aside, dodging as easily as a passing breeze.

“What, did you skip breakfast? That hit was so soft it couldn’t hurt a fly,” Gu Xiaoyao teased, instantly appearing beside Al.

“Al, let me give you a hand!” Afa paused, swinging his own tail down with all his might.

Gu Xiaoyao flashed him a grin and dodged again. The tail slammed hard—straight into Al’s head.

“You idiot! Watch where you’re aiming!” Al bellowed, rubbing the new lump.

Afa sheepishly nodded, “My bad, my bad—next time, I swear.”

Bored of their antics, Gu Xiaoyao floated between the two, humming a little tune, arms behind his head, legs crossed, flying upside-down.

“Can you two speed up? I could grow old waiting.” He finished with a yawn.

Al and Afa stared at Gu Xiaoyao like they’d seen a ghost. At that moment, they cursed their own huge bodies—why did it have to make them so slow?

Gu Xiaoyao flitted about like a grasshopper, nimble and carefree, while their size became a major drawback. Most of their strength was wasted just staying aloft.

With nowhere to rest and no way to recover, they had to fend off Gu Xiaoyao’s constant prodding too.

Both Demon Lords boiled with rage, their fury so intense they barely had a grip on their sanity.

“Die, human!”

Both tails swept down with a crush of aura, aiming to flatten Gu Xiaoyao between them. Sighing, he dipped down out of reach.

Two deafening crashes echoed, soon followed by their agonized wails. Both Demon Lords had given it everything—and struck each other square on.

Right in the middle, Gu Xiaoyao hovered perfectly unharmed. He watched the whole display, thinking, Where’d all that fire go? The longer you stay in here, the dumber you get—or is it just me?

“Are you two really supposed to be gods? I’m just not feeling it. Maybe it’s all for show. At the very least, your brains are a little suspect,” he sighed.

Al and Afa’s eyes narrowed, faces dark with rage. “Insult our strength if you like, but never our intelligence!”

“Even if it takes sacrificing our very souls, we’re going to teach you a lesson!”

Together, they thundered, “Demon God Soul, Reverse!”

Under the stunned gaze of Gu Xiaoyao and Xuyan, Al and Afa’s bodies suddenly erupted in a burst of energy.

A thick plume of smoke shrouded the entire pocket world, choking Gu Xiaoyao and Xuyan.

Two massive shockwaves tore through, scattering the haze. As it cleared, their hulking forms had vanished.

Standing in their place were two humanoids—horns atop their heads, wings spread behind, thick scales on their bodies, and their faces covered by eggshell-like masks.

The purple one was Al; the deep blue one was Afa. Slowly, both raised their hands to their faces.

With a crack, they tore away the eggshells, revealing two strikingly handsome faces.

Their eyes snapped open—glowing blood-red—as a menacing, utterly different aura surged from their bodies.

The pressure that exploded out was even more frightening than a Human Demi-God’s—the intensity sent a chill down Xuyan’s spine.

Xuyan gulped, “Host, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Should we be running now?”

“You’re right, let’s go,” Gu Xiaoyao said, glancing back. “They’re getting serious… but that might be just what I need!”

With Xuyan, he made a quick break for it, but the transformed Demon Lords instantly blocked their path.

“Running now, kid? Bit late for that, don’t you think?” Al growled.

With a cold snort, Afa spat, “The last thing you should’ve done was insult our intelligence. Now, pay the price! Die!”

Both lashed out, palms slamming for Gu Xiaoyao’s face. His heart jumped—he yanked out the Skydome Sword, blocking just in time.

The two palms struck the sword’s hilt in a flash of light, driving Gu Xiaoyao back several steps.

Feeling the force through the blade, Al and Afa exchanged a startled glance. This sword was no ordinary weapon. If they wanted to win, they would have to go all in.

The Demon Lords retreated a step, nodded, eyes meeting.

“Demon God Howl—shake the heavens!” Al bellowed.

“Demon God Fist—smash the world!” Afa roared.

Al’s howl sent a shockwave that shattered the Void. In a heartbeat, a torrent of phantom fists filled the air, raining down on Gu Xiaoyao.

It was like they’d turned on an auto-target: every punch landed exactly where Gu Xiaoyao moved.

He knew retreating was pointless. If he didn’t lure them into his trap, he wouldn’t survive.

“Divine Oracle: Annihilation!” Drawing his sword with everything he had, Gu Xiaoyao unleashed a mighty slash.

The world shook. The sword tore open the already fractured Void with such force that the rift would never heal.

Al and Afa’s attacks slammed into the sword strike, triggering a massive explosion.

For one instant, time froze in this corner of the Void, trapping everyone in the blast’s wake.

Outside Sword Qi Continent, every living being was struck with terror. The sky split open—a monstrous wound—revealing glimpses into the Void beyond.

Gu Xiaoyao was the first to recover. Seizing the moment, he leaped toward the Gate of Ascendants.

Al and Afa snapped out of it a moment later, but by the time they searched around, Gu Xiaoyao was already a thousand miles away.

Enraged, the pair launched themselves after him, vowing to make sure Gu Xiaoyao tasted a fate worse than death!