Duàn Chén flew up and kicked hard into the side of the mer-demon's waist.
A flicker of surprise flashed in the mer-demon's eyes. It was unable to dodge Duàn Chén's attack any longer, and its arrogant face immediately contorted in pain.
Boom!
With a swift kick, the mer-demon was sent crashing into the ground at high speed, tumbling several times.
Duàn Chén landed, stretching his slightly sore calves. The demon's scales were harder than he had imagined.
Click.
The gun was cocked.
The mer-demon furiously swung its spear, but Duàn Chén was agile, seeing through every thrust and perfectly evading it.
Shock appeared in its eyes.
Duàn Chén smiled at the mer-demon.
"This is the consequence of underestimating humans."
Bang!
One shot.
The mer-demon shielded its forehead, but the bullet somehow saw through its movements, deviating to its abdomen. Green blood immediately flowed out, and it grimaced in pain.
It ferociously hurled its spear, which Duàn Chén easily dodged by tilting his head.
A hint of fear finally appeared in its eyes.
Bang!
Two shots.
The mer-demon shielded its heart, but the bullet again saw through its movements, blasting its unguarded left eye. Pain contorted its face, and its body trembled violently.
"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!"
It roared ferociously, clutching its eye, its face covered in blood.
"It's over."
Duàn Chén, impeccably dressed in his suit, stood before it, his gun aimed at its heart.
The mer-demon struggled to its feet, already contemplating escape.
But Duàn Chén's condescending smile sent shivers down its spine, as if all its movements were visible to him!
Anything it did was futile!
Bang!
Three shots.
The bullet ascended at the last moment.
The target was its brain, not its heart.
Pfft—!
A spray of blood erupted, and it let out a final, pained roar.
Duàn Chén exhaled. He suddenly noticed a scale from the mer-demon's tail drop into the blood. It was translucent, shimmering with a dark gray light.
He scanned it with his detector and his eyes lit up with joy.
[Name: Demonic Fish Scale]
[Quality: Fine]
[Attribute: None]
[Note: Appears as thin as a cicada's wing, yet possesses immense defensive power. Ordinary blades and spears cannot penetrate it, making it excellent material for crafting armor.]
They said the secret realm held countless treasures, and here was one.
Duàn Chén slipped the scale into his suit pocket.
The battle on the other side had clearly entered its final stages.
Jiǎ Yúnlián's Thorn Bloodthirsty Whip could absorb spiritual energy, making it relatively easy to deal with a tentacle monster. Although it took some effort, the moment the rose bloomed, the outcome was decided.
The tentacled black-robed monster lay amidst a patch of vibrant roses, riddled with thorns like a sieve.
"Hmph, is that all you've got?" Jiǎ Yúnlián retracted her whip and looked at Duàn Chén, her domineering posture instantly replaced by shyness.
"Easier to deal with than I imagined~"
"Indeed, a true heroine." Duàn Chén smiled slightly.
However, just as they began to relax, the vast army of sea demons became agitated. Mǐ Xuě'er and Qín Zé retreated to Duàn Chén's side.
"Oh no, Teacher Duàn, there are too many of them, we can't possibly kill them all!"
"Brother Duàn Chén, if this continues, we'll be consumed by them!"
Following Mǐ Xuě'er and Qín Zé's gazes, the hundreds of sea demons kneeling outside had descended into chaos. They refused to believe that their powerful black-robed priest and mer-demon captain had both died so miserably.
Terror and unease loomed over them like dark clouds.
They clutched their heads and opened their mouths in unison.
"Oh no!!"
Duàn Chén's pupils contracted sharply, a look of horror on his face.
Too many, the numbers were too great! There was no possibility of instantly killing all the sea demons. But if they were allowed to cry out here, what kind of terrifying Void Realm would hundreds of sea demons create?
He dared not even imagine.
Jiǎ Yúnlián, who had not yet experienced the Void Realm, wore a confused expression. "Oh no? We even took down the leaders, are you still worried about these small fry?"
Suddenly.
A piercing shriek erupted from the throats of the sea demons.
"Ah—!!!"
Then, like a fuse being lit, screams erupted all around.
"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"
"Ah ah ah!!"
The few of them immediately covered their ears in pain, but the cries were sharp and incredibly penetrating, like fingernails on glass, making their insides go numb.
Duàn Chén gritted his teeth tightly, shielding the three behind him.
—Void Realm, Activated—
A massive, distorted force field tore the entire space apart. Dark energy churned, released, and spread within the vortex, covering the entire ritual site.
The screams abruptly stopped, and the entire space fell silent.
Dark energy formed a visible barrier, upon which surged miasma and flames. Countless blood-red eyes cracked open within the space, and ghastly faces poked their heads out from everywhere. Their pale forms were like vengeful spirits, and immense spiritual pressure washed over them.
The three slowly lowered their hands from their ears, too shocked to speak. The joy of their previous victory had completely vanished.
Qín Zé, Mǐ Xuě'er, and Jiǎ Yúnlián looked ashen. Duàn Chén's heart felt bitter.
The Void Spirits before them were not only numerous but also exuded an unprecedented pressure, far exceeding any he had encountered before.
Even more terrifying, a colossal monster, composed of thousands upon thousands of ghastly faces, lifted its head from the mud.
It stood over ten meters tall, its body massive, its eyes hollow. It seemed like a giant magnetic field, drawing more and more ghastly faces into its body, fusing with them, causing it to grow larger and more horrifying.
Bang!
Its gigantic foot stomped on the ground, instantly leaving a half-meter-deep pit.
It swung a punch, a wobbly blow, like a moving small mountain.
The earth trembled, the air grew heavy, and the three looked up at it with pale faces, feeling infinitesimally small.
"It's over, I'm going to die." Qín Zé's eyes were filled with despair.
"Daddy, you'll protect me this time too, right......" Mǐ Xuě'er's eyes welled up with tears as she tightly gripped the sword pendant on her chest.
"Duàn Chén, think of something, I don't want to die yet." Jiǎ Yúnlián also clung to Duàn Chén's side.
"There's no other way." Duàn Chén took a step forward, closed his eyes slightly, and then reopened them.
If he poured all his spiritual power into his gun, he might be able to unleash a strongest electromagnetic cannon. But after that, he would be completely depleted, and still within a vast secret realm, with no idea how many more sea demons might exist.
With insufficient information and almost zero clues, burning himself out now would be an incredibly risky move.
Just as Duàn Chén was about to raise his gun, a patch of black mist appeared before his eyes.
That door, which had not appeared for a long time, suddenly materialized at this moment.
The ancient, entirely black door creaked open slightly, and a young boy stood within, seemingly smiling at him. Time itself seemed to become viscous and slow in this instant.