“Boom—”
Hu Jiaojiao stomped her right foot. The ground split apart, and a violent shockwave surged straight toward Fa Hua and Lan Ge.
On the other side, Hu Rourou crashed to the ground. She tried to get back up, but her mind went blank, and she lost consciousness for a brief instant. Facing the Wisdom Sword was never simple. Although her cultivation surpassed Fa Hua’s and Lan Ge’s, the sword Fa Hua had just thrust carried power close to the Ninth-Rank. Slashing Emotions had sealed her emotions completely.
Fa Hua’s body flashed with holy radiance. The Wisdom Shield withdrew, and he grasped the Wisdom Sword with both hands. He traced the sky and earth with the blade, then slashed outward.
A three-foot blade of holy light extended from the sword, solid and unwavering. With a shrill tearing sound, it split the oncoming shockwave apart.
In the next instant, violet lightning surged over Fa Hua. With a sharp crack, he was already in front of Hu Jiaojiao. His thrust divided into four streaks of light, each driving toward her shoulders and hips.
The young Demon elites looked on in stunned silence.
What was happening? These two Humans were clearly only Eighth-Rank—yet the two Princesses had been forced onto the defensive.
At least on the surface, Fa Hua and Lan Ge had been holding the advantage the entire time. Hu Jiaojiao and Hu Rourou had even suffered losses at their hands.
Fa Hua’s thrust was blindingly fast. Sword light pulsed as it advanced, and under the amplification of the Lightning Element, the strike moved like lightning itself.
Ordinarily, such explosive Lightning augmentation would disrupt sword intent. But Fa Hua and Lan Ge were of one mind. As Lan Ge’s Lightning Element flowed into him, Fa Hua naturally gained clarity and insight into its nature. When the sword shot forward, a powerful sense surged within him—as if the world itself were in his grasp.
Lan Ge stood directly behind him, both palms pressed against Fa Hua’s back. The two were linked as one.
Hu Jiaojiao’s heart jolted. Yet in that instant of alarm, the Tiger Demon Clan Princess—moments ago consumed by rage—forced herself to calm down.
She was a born warrior, a royal of the Golden Bloodline. Her innate combat prowess was terrifying. She stepped her left foot sideways, spreading her stance to stabilize herself, and slashed forward with both tiger claws.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Four crisp sounds rang out as all four sword streaks were blocked.
Fa Hua’s Light-Splitting Sword Technique had already reached the realm of unity between heaven and man. Yet from Hu Jiaojiao, he felt an overwhelming will—domineering, tyrannical, as if it could suppress the world. Her claws carried savage ferocity and crushing dominance, striking with unstoppable force.
So this was her true strength.
Golden halos burst from her claws, precisely dissolving the lightning energy transmitted through the collisions. A surging golden bloodline aura exploded outward, sweeping the area.
Fa Hua bore the brunt. The holy radiance granted by the Divine Statue flared, anchoring him like a mountain. Even so, despite Lan Ge’s support, he was forced back half a step.
Hu Jiaojiao stepped forward, shoulders lowered, charging straight in.
The Wisdom Shield flashed into existence to block her path. At the same time, wind surged beneath Fa Hua’s feet and he slid laterally. A sudden vortex formed beneath Hu Jiaojiao, throwing her stable footing into momentary disarray.
Fa Hua slammed the Wisdom Shield sideways into her swinging claw. The shield shattered instantly, while her claw was knocked aside. The fragments reformed into countless small barriers, driving toward the joints across Hu Jiaojiao’s body.
At the same moment, a pillar of flame erupted from the ground beside her, surging toward her waist.
Everything happened too fast.
Hu Jiaojiao could clearly feel that Fa Hua and Lan Ge’s combined raw energy was still inferior to hers. Yet their bizarre, perfectly coordinated attacks left her scrambling. Just like before, she had strength she couldn’t fully unleash. They never gave her the chance to gather power and meet them head-on.
Forced into hurried defense, she shouted sharply, “Second sister!”
The cry shocked everyone present.
That shout all but admitted that Hu Jiaojiao alone could not defeat Fa Hua and Lan Ge. It was an unmistakable acknowledgment of their strength.
When Fa Hua and Lan Ge declared themselves human, nearly everyone—including Tie Yiran—instinctively looked down on them. To demons, what were humans? Slaves. Even the so-called free humans of the Law Domain, Blue Domain, or Saint Domain were nothing more than vassals of the Demon Domain. Assets that could be reclaimed at any time.
The reason was simple.
Humans were weak.
Yet now, Hu Jiaojiao, undefeated among the younger generation, had called for help against two humans working together.
How could that be possible?
Were these two really human?
At last, Hu Rourou recovered from the Wisdom Sword’s strike.
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
Three thunderous tiger roars erupted as she launched herself forward, icy ruthlessness gleaming in her eyes. As she leapt, the golden radiance around her body transformed. The halo fused completely into her form. Long fur burst forth, patterned with vivid tiger stripes. Her body swelled, each hair flowing with golden light.
Though she remained humanoid, standing nearly three meters tall, she had become a Golden Tiger.
The Second Princess was truly enraged.
The momentary blankness caused by the Wisdom Sword shattered her restraint. Memories she would rather forget rose with the returning surge of rage.
She was done holding back.
She lunged forward, her body a streak of lightning, every strand of fur blazing with gold. Lan Ge’s elemental attacks poured in, but they never reached her. The overwhelming Bloodline aura radiating from her body dissolved them on contact.
Hu Jiaojiao retreated for the first time. Golden light erupted from her form as well, and she released her Golden Tiger body, dissolving the pursuing attacks from Fa Hua and Lan Ge.
As the auras of the two Princesses skyrocketed, Fa Hua and Lan Ge both felt their hearts tighten.
This was no longer merely Ninth-Rank.
This was the very peak of the Ninth-Rank.
After assuming their Golden Tiger forms, the two Princesses seemed only a single step away from the God Rank.
Hu Jiaojiao and Hu Rourou stood shoulder to shoulder.
In the next instant, they pounced together.
Golden light flooded heaven and earth. The entire Martial Arena was instantly swallowed in gold.
The young demons didn’t hesitate, turning and fleeing at full speed.
In the next instant, tiger roars and claw shadows filled every inch of the arena.
The raised platform was torn apart instantly, disintegrating into dust under the terrifying golden energy.
Golden light saturated every corner of the Martial Arena, formed from countless overlapping tiger claws.
From afar, the arena was enveloped by a massive sphere of golden radiance, everything inside devoured in an instant.
Joint attacks were not exclusive to Fa Hua and Lan Ge.
As twin sisters sharing the same bloodline, Hu Jiaojiao and Hu Rourou’s combined strike was powerful enough to rival a Tenth-Rank Demon God.
“Huff… huff…”
After a full five seconds, the golden light finally began to fade. The arena floor was crisscrossed with claw marks, vast sections of ground completely shattered.
The Princesses were breathing heavily. The attack had exacted a serious toll.
“Have those two been shredded yet?” Hu Rourou snarled.
Hu Jiaojiao snorted coldly. “They’re too slippery. Only this leaves them nowhere to hide. Even space-type abilities can’t withstand our Golden Claw Prison.”
The ferocity in Hu Rourou’s eyes eased slightly. “Sister… don’t you think we went too far? After this, it’ll be hard to draw people in.”
Hu Jiaojiao curled her lip. It makes no difference whether trash come or not. Still, those two humans were interesting. I hate their sticky, evasive fighting style, but I’ll admit they’re stronger than the rest. Just Eighth-Rank, yet they forced us to go all out.”
Hu Rourou snorted. “Annoying way to fight. Not satisfying at all. Killing them is fine. Sister… you’re not actually thinking of marrying a human, are you?”
Hu Jiaojiao thrust out her chest. “I don’t care about race. Only an overwhelmingly powerful, peerless hero is worthy of being my husband!”
Hu Rourou glared, then shouted, “Well said! Same here!”
At that moment, white light flashed.
Two figures reappeared before them.
“You haven’t won yet,” Fa Hua said calmly.
Hu Jiaojiao and Hu Rourou froze.
Standing before them were Fa Hua and Lan Ge—unharmed.
They weren’t dead?
Even Golden Claw Prison hadn’t killed them?
Lan Ge chuckled softly. “Princesses… care to try again?”
Of course they were alive. The instant they sensed danger, they teleported into the Peerless Pearl’s cultivation space and deliberately waited before returning.
“Roar—!”
Both Princesses erupted in fury and lunged forward together.
But at the moment they moved, Fa Hua and Lan Ge’s expressions changed sharply. Light flashed over Fa Hua, and he vanished. A heartbeat later, Lan Ge disappeared as well, slipping away before they could reach him.
The two Princesses struck nothing but air.
Rage exploded.
“Bastards! Too slippery. They ran again!”
“Boom—!”
The main gate of the Martial Arena shattered as seven or eight figures were flung inward. They were Tiger Demon Clan warriors.
A blood-red figure stepped through the wreckage, advancing one step at a time.