Chapter 125: You Beast, Kneel!

The entire secret realm was trembling. A fierce, monstrous aura surged into the sky; the mere sensation of it left the geniuses from the mortal kingdoms gasping for air, their souls feeling as if they were on the verge of shattering.

"Quick! Run toward Xia Jiuxuan!"

Of the three hundred people present, a third had already perished in the pools of demonic blood. The survivors, paralyzed by terror, fled toward Xia Jiuxuan. In their eyes, with such a terrifying demonic entity appearing, only Xia Jiuxuan could possibly save their lives. To them, he was their only lifeline.

"Brother Xia, please, you must save us!"

The earth continued to crack open. Seeing the monster from beneath the ground about to burst forth, the youths who had flown to Xia Jiuxuan’s side begged him frantically. Xia Jiuxuan, however, kept his brows tightly knit, his expression cold and indifferent, ignoring them entirely.

"Hmph."

Duanmu Wan let out a cold snort, saying, "Get as far away as you can!" These people were no saints, and they certainly weren't going to play the hero for them; why should they bother?

"This..." The group exchanged glances, their faces twisted in despair.

"Senior Sister, we are begging you on our knees—just let Brother Xia protect me and my brothers." The leader of a party knelt before Duanmu Wan and Xia Jiuxuan. Seeing this, the rest followed suit.

"Scram! If you don't leave this instant, I will kill you!" Duanmu Wan drew her sword, her voice sharp.

"Wait." Xia Jiuxuan raised a hand.

"Thank you, Brother Xia! Thank you!" Seeing a glimmer of hope, they kowtowed repeatedly.

"Hand over all your spirit crystals and the spirit herbs you have collected, and I will give you a chance to survive," Xia Jiuxuan said coldly.

"All our resources? That’s too—" Before the man could finish, the ground shook violently as a blood-red horn pierced through the soil. A storm of violent demonic energy swept outward.

"Ahhh!" Over a dozen people were instantly crushed to death by the sheer force of the aura.

"Quick! Give your resources to Brother Xia!" No longer daring to hesitate, the survivors unlocked their storage devices and presented them to Xia Jiuxuan. He gathered them all into his possession. "Everyone, retreat to the front of the temple gate!" Xia Jiuxuan commanded, and the others rushed toward the dilapidated temple like a gust of wind.

"Brother Xia, here are our storage devices. Please, take them," Qin Wei and his companions said, offering theirs as well.

Xia Jiuxuan raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to insult me?"

Qin Wei and his group were stunned. "What do you mean, Brother Xia?"

"We have some history together," Xia Jiuxuan said calmly, "and I will need your help later. Why would I take your storage devices?"

Realization dawned on them. They nodded repeatedly, saying, "Brother Xia, we were foolish. Our apologies."

"Enough talk. Fall back." Xia Jiuxuan then turned to Duanmu Wan and Mu Feng. "You two go as well."

"But—"

*BOOM!*

Before Duanmu Wan could finish, a massive explosion erupted. A blood-red figure with the body of a man and the head of a bull leapt from the depths of the earth. The entire world was stained by the crimson light radiating from its body. Duanmu Wan and Mu Feng did not hesitate further and retreated toward the temple.

Xia Jiuxuan, however, stood his ground. Facing such a powerful Demon King, his current cultivation level was nowhere near enough to win in a fight. His only escape route was the dilapidated temple, but to unlock it, he required a drop of the Demon King’s blood as a catalyst, combined with his own divine consciousness.

*Thump. Thump.*

The blood-red Bull Demon King stared at Xia Jiuxuan. "Human, you have disturbed my rest." The demon spoke in human tongue, its voice chillingly cold.

"Beast, kneel." Xia Jiuxuan stared back, his tone one of command.

"Ignorant creature, you dare speak to me in such a tone?" the Bull Demon King hissed.

"In my eyes, you are less than a worm. Why wouldn't I dare? You yellow-ox beast, take a look at who I am!"

Xia Jiuxuan dared not delay, fearing the Demon King would strike. He channeled his divine soul and conjured a projection of slaughter behind him.

"ROAR!"

Upon seeing the slaughter projection, the Bull Demon King roared, consumed by absolute terror. "It’s you! How can it be you!" The Demon King felt a sharp pain in its soul, a primal fear akin to a mortal encountering a god. It remembered its peak, back when it was even stronger than it was now, yet in the presence of that human youth in blood-stained armor, it had been nothing more than an ant. It had witnessed that youth slay a Seven-Winged Blood Dragon—a true Demon Emperor!

That maddening, murderous intent still haunted the scars on its demonic soul, flaring up every few years and causing it agony. The fear was etched into its very essence, impossible to forget.

"You see your Emperor and you do not kneel?" Xia Jiuxuan’s voice was icy, desperately mimicking the presence he had once possessed.

"No, no, no..." The Bull Demon King trembled, murmuring like a madman.

Deep down, Xia Jiuxuan was panicking; he feared the Demon King would snap and attack. With the Demon King's power, a mere flick of its energy would reduce him to dust, and he wouldn't even have time to burn his soul in defense.

"Beast! Kneel!" Seeing the demon struggling, Xia Jiuxuan intensified the slaughter projection.

The Bull Demon King looked up at the terrifying, blood-armored figure. *BOOM.* Its knees buckled, slamming into the ground with such force that a thousand-foot-long fissure split the earth.

"Hmph." Xia Jiuxuan snorted and began to walk through the air toward the Demon King.

Behind him, everyone was stunned. The unimaginably powerful Bull Demon had actually knelt for Xia Jiuxuan! As they watched him approach the beast, their hearts felt gripped by an invisible hand, ready to burst.

"Heaven protect us, I hope Brother Xia is alright," Qin Wei and the others muttered, mouth agape, unable to do anything but pray.

"Senior Brother Xia, you must survive!" Duanmu Wan was equally tense; she knew better than anyone how monstrous this Demon King was. Even her father, if he were still alive, might not be able to slay such a creature.

He was close now. Only a few yards away. In the next instant, Xia Jiuxuan leaped and landed directly on the head of the Bull Demon King.

His heart pounded; he was terrified. *Just hold on for another hundred breaths!* His back was drenched in sweat, for he was reaching his limit—the slaughter projection was on the verge of shattering. Once it dissolved, the fear etched into the Demon King's soul would vanish.