Chapter 119: First Battle Against the Demon King—the Heaven-and-Earth Transformation Unleashes Its Might!

"Protection fee?"

Looking at the short figure perched on the peak ahead, Lu Wufei’s mind raced before he replied with a calm expression, "Oh? And what kind of protection fee do you want?"

This old demon was no good news. More than twenty years ago, he had been passing by when this creature attacked him out of nowhere, nearly robbing him. He had only escaped because he was fast. Now, blocked by this same old demon once again, it seemed today would not end peacefully.

Twenty years ago, he had only just reached the Golden Core stage; his cultivation and divine abilities were far inferior to this old monster. Now, however, he was at the peak of the Golden Core stage, only a step away from becoming an Earth Immortal. With his divine abilities fully mastered, he might not be certain of victory against an early-stage Earth Immortal, but he was certainly ready to clash—especially given their old grudge.

"Kid..."

The old demon flew rapidly to a high altitude in front of Lu Wufei. After scrutinizing him, he spoke, "I find you somewhat pleasing to the eye. Tell you what—just hand over one dharma treasure as a protection fee, and we’ll call it even. How about that?"

"A dharma treasure?"

Hearing the old demon’s words, Lu Wufei let out a hearty laugh. "A Demon King at the Earth Immortal realm, and yet you’ve resorted to highway robbery? Old demon, it seems you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks!"

As his laughter echoed in all directions, the old demon’s expression shifted, turning dark and sinister. "Kid, you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Since that’s how it is, go to hell!"

As the words fell, the black demonic aura around the old demon surged, blotting out the sky. With a wave of his hand, the oppressive aura condensed into a massive ghostly claw, reaching down toward Lu Wufei.

"Stay hidden."

Lu Wufei patted the small head of Little White, who had peeked out from his robes. Looking up at the descending claw, he leaped into the air. A golden staff appeared in his hand, and he swung it straight at the oncoming attack!

*Wham!*

The golden light of the staff collided with the solid, eerie demonic aura. A piercing, shrill shriek erupted as the ghost claw trembled violently, unable to maintain its form, and dissipated with a loud *bang*.

Having shattered the claw, Lu Wufei shifted his target and charged toward the short old demon. With a single step, he appeared directly before him and brought the golden staff down!

Caught off guard by the young man's speed and his ability to dispel a divine technique so easily, the old demon was shocked, yet remained composed. His small frame suddenly bulged to a height of four meters, revealing a mouse-like head and demonic body. A long spear shimmering with pale green light appeared in his hand, and he thrust it forward to meet the incoming strike.

The roles of attacker and defender reversed in an instant!

Lu Wufei dodged to the side, his golden staff tracing a semicircle to meet the spear.

*CLANG!*

A metallic boom rang out, sparks flying. A shockwave rippled outward from the two demons. Both retreated from the impact. Lu Wufei landed and stood firm, his breath steady, sneering, "It seems your strength is nothing special, old demon!"

In that last exchange, the old demon had reacted quickly, but even with the advantage of height and momentum, his spear strike was only slightly stronger than Lu Wufei’s defense. He hadn't even managed to suppress him.

Lu Wufei’s own body surged to four meters, though he did not reveal his true form, remaining in the appearance of a silver-haired young man.

Seeing this, the old demon’s heart skipped a beat. A single exchange was enough to make him uneasy. A Demon Marshal-level creature being able to match him—a Demon King—in pure strength was a sign of extraordinary power. Furthermore, the youth’s aura was pure and refined, unlike typical demons, suggesting a profound cultivation technique.

"Kid, don't get cocky just because you have a little strength. I'll show you exactly how you're going to die!" The old demon roared and lunged again.

"Bring it on!" Lu Wufei scoffed.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

For a time, the sounds of metal clashing filled the valley. Powerful waves of demonic energy rolled outward, shaking the very mountains. Birds scattered in terror and beasts fled for their lives.

As the fight progressed, the old demon grew increasingly grim, while Lu Wufei became more confident. After two or thirty rounds, the old demon had taken at least ten hits from the staff, while his own spear hadn't grazed the youth once.

*This won't do!* The old demon thought. *If the others hear this and see me struggling against a mere Demon Marshal, I'll be the laughingstock of the mountains.*

"Eat this!" the old demon shouted. His body expanded to ten meters, and he thrust his now-massive spear downward.

Lu Wufei dodged the strike with a series of acrobatic flips. Just then, the old demon’s lips curled into a smirk. He retracted his spear and unleashed a floral rope from his body, which shot toward the dodging youth.

Lu Wufei sensed the danger, but the rope moved with intelligence. The moment it touched him, it bound him tightly. When he landed, he found his spiritual energy suppressed and a searing, soul-deep pain wracking his body.

"Don't struggle, kid!" The old demon sneered. "Even those other old monsters would suffer under my Soul-Capturing Rope. There's no way you're breaking free!"

Lu Wufei, however, remained vigilant. Seeing the old demon approach, he forced his spiritual energy to surge despite the agony and flew backward. "Old demon, dreaming of killing me? Keep dreaming!"

With a thought, Lu Wufei transformed into his true form: a massive white wolf. As he grew, the rope stretched with him. In the blink of an eye, he had reached forty or fifty meters—the limit for most Demon Marshals. Yet, the rope held.

"Still trying to break it? Naive!" The old demon scoffed, admiring the size of the wolf. "At least this hide will make for a good meal."

"Red-Tail," a voice rang out from the distance. A short, stout figure appeared in the sky—the "White-Haired" demon, his old rival.

"White-Hair, this has nothing to do with you," Red-Tail warned. "Stay out of it, or I'll go after your kin."

Ignoring the threat, White-Hair watched as the white wolf continued to grow. In a few breaths, it reached ninety meters—far beyond the limit of any ordinary Demon Marshal.

"He's not an ordinary demon," White-Hair remarked. "Don't let your greed blind you."

Red-Tail paid him no mind. The wolf kept growing: 100 meters, 150, 200...

"ROAR!" Lu Wufei bellowed, pushing through the agonizing pain of the rope and his own spiritual exhaustion.

*CRACK.*

With a thunderous snap, the Soul-Capturing Rope finally gave way. Freed, Lu Wufei’s growth accelerated, reaching three hundred meters in height. He was no longer a mountain peak; he was a mountain range.

*The Art of Heaven and Earth! Truly incredible!*

Lu Wufei summoned his golden staff, but it could only grow to a few dozen meters. Finding it useless at his current scale, he discarded it and lunged at the old demon.

"Oh no!" Red-Tail panicked. This was no longer a simple contest of strength. He turned and fled, but at three hundred meters, Lu Wufei was a titan. With one swipe of his massive paw, he swatted Red-Tail out of the sky like a fly.

*BOOM!*

The old demon crashed into the forest, leaving a massive crater. He emerged, disheveled and fuming. He realized this wasn't the wolf's permanent form—it had to be a temporary, taxing technique. He just needed to survive until the time ran out.

Red-Tail shifted into his own true form—a two-hundred-meter-tall hybrid with a squirrel's head. "White-Hair! Help me kill this wolf, and I'll grant you any condition!"

Lu Wufei roared, his voice shaking the earth, "If he can kill your kin, what makes you think I can't?"

The threat silenced the distant White-Hair. Lu Wufei turned his full attention to the squirrel-demon. He swept his hand across the landscape, shattering half a mountain, and threw a handful of boulders at his opponent. The squirrel-demon, blinded by the debris, failed to dodge the next massive slap.

*WHAM!*

The old demon was sent flying a thousand meters, crashing into a cliffside. Lu Wufei was upon him in seconds, grabbing him and slamming him into the ground repeatedly.

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

After a one-sided beating, Lu Wufei sensed his time was running out. He kicked the battered squirrel-demon into the distance, chanted a quick spell, and transformed into a streak of golden light, vanishing into the horizon.

A moment later, the bruised and battered squirrel-demon crawled out, staring at the fading golden light with seething hatred. "You little brat! Just you wait! I will grind your bones to dust!"