"Don't listen, don't listen!"
Chixia didn't give Fenric a chance to speak. "Kid, this isn't a place for you. Get out of here—now!"
Fenric was a little speechless.
He knew Chixia meant well, but that tone was hard to swallow.
"Beardy, you don't need to worry. Isn't it just a Thousand-Year Tree Demon?"
"...Huh?"
Chixia was stunned. "You know there are monsters here and still dare to come?"
"Of course. I'm here to slay demons."
Fenric wasn't afraid of the Thousand-Year Tree Demon.
Based on its depiction in the film, that genderless, grotesque spirit only had disgusting attacks. In terms of real strength, it wasn't much.
The real trouble was the Old Black Mountain Demon from the underworld—that one was tricky. Fenric wasn't fully confident about him.
That's why he came to find Chixia. He wanted to team up to face the real boss.
"Arrogant brat!"
Chixia gave him a few more glances and snorted. "What's your current cultivation? And you dare to talk about killing demons? Do you know that tree demon has cultivated for over a thousand years? You're courting death!"
Fenric couldn't be bothered to explain.
He asked directly, "Beardy, my real target is the Old Black Mountain Demon hiding in the underworld. Can you take me to him?"
"You even want to go after that thing!?"
Chixia stared at him like he was looking at a madman.
The Black Mountain Demon had profound Taoist power. Even he wouldn't dare provoke such a terrifying existence.
Fenric still looked young—no matter how early he'd started cultivating, even from the womb, he couldn't possibly be a match for the Black Mountain Demon.
"You really don't know how high the heavens are!"
Chixia scoffed. "Who's your master? I'd like to ask them why they trained a fool like you just to send him to his death!"
Fenric sighed.
This guy's too stubborn!
"Beardy, it looks like you won't take me seriously unless I show you something. No offense, then."
As his words fell, Fenric activated his Telekinesis power.
Chixia, standing opposite, suddenly felt his body freeze—unable to move. He was pulled forward, completely out of his own control.
Startled, Chixia struggled repeatedly but found he couldn't resist at all.
Though a martial arts master, Chixia was still within mortal limits. With Fenric's current strength, his Telekinesis power could lift objects weighing over a thousand catties. Controlling someone like Chixia was no problem at all.
Fenric then clenched his hand into a claw and reached for Chixia's neck.
Alarmed, Chixia shouted,
"Heaven and Earth in Harmony—Empyrean Sword Technique!"
Buzz!
From the room behind, a heavy sword flew out with a low hum.
"Form of the Sword—Manifest!"
Another shout, and the epee shot straight toward Fenric like a deadly arrow!
Fenric recognized it as Chixia's Taoist technique—and he admired it.
But…
Hurting him? Almost impossible!
Armament Haki instantly coated Fenric's palm.
At the same time, he activated his Telekinesis again, locking onto the flying sword in mid-air.
Then—he reached out with an open hand and grabbed the sword's edge head-on.
Chixia was stunned and tried to warn him.
"Be careful!"
But in the next moment—
His voice stopped.
A look of shock appeared on his face.
Fenric's palm firmly grasped the sword, and aside from a minor cut that bled slightly, there was no real injury.
That sword… it could slice through copper and iron. Yet it barely scratched this young man's hand?
What kind of monster was he?
What Chixia didn't know was that Fenric himself was just as surprised.
This was the first time a sharp weapon had actually broken his skin since he began using Armament Haki.
Then came the system alert.
Ding! Special item detected.
Item: Empyrean Divine Sword.
Forged in ancient times, this divine blade is peerless and holds strong power over demons and spirits.
Note: Only Taoist cultivators can unleash its full potential.
Fenric was stunned once again.
He had read the guide before coming here. He knew Chixia's sword was a special item.
But this?
A legendary divine weapon?
No wonder, in the original story, the Old Black Mountain Demon was slain with a single strike from this blade!
In that moment—
Fenric's desire was stirred.
Even if he couldn't wield Taoist techniques, this sword had innate power to restrain demons. The next time he encountered a ghost-infested dungeon, having this weapon would make things much easier.
"Hey! Who are you really?" Chixia demanded. "And what technique did you just use?"
Fenric casually withdrew his Telekinesis grip and let go of Chixia.
"Beardy, now do you understand how capable I am?"
"Hmph!" Chixia snorted. "I'll admit you've got some skill. But if you think that's enough to take on the Old Black Mountain Demon, you're dreaming!"
Chixia was a demon-slaying specialist, a master of martial techniques.
But Fenric wasn't a demon—and with his current abilities, Chixia had no chance of matching him.
At this point, Fenric's strength had already reached the level of an A-rank boss. He was no longer some green rookie.
"Are you dumb or something?" Fenric frowned, his tone growing blunt. "Since I dared to come after the Old Black Mountain Demon, I obviously have my own plan. Quit the nonsense—just tell me how to get to the underworld!"
"You—!"
Chixia's face flushed with anger.
But still, he answered, "The Black Mountain Demon is entrenched in the City of the Dead, between the border of yin and yang. The living can't enter. You'd need someone on the inside to open the way into the yang realm—otherwise, there's no way in."
Fenric immediately recalled the original plot.
In it, Lillian had been captured for a ghost marriage, and Chixia had guided the protagonist into the underworld.
Looks like if he wanted to enter the underworld and take on the Black Mountain Demon, he'd need to work with Lillian after all.
"Hey! Kid! Give me back my sword!"
Chixia saw Fenric still holding his weapon and quickly demanded it back.
"Here."
Fenric tossed the sword back to him without hesitation.
It wasn't that he didn't want it—
But he still needed Chixia's help to enter the underworld.
Of course…
If something happened and Chixia lost the sword while inside the Black Mountain Demon's territory…
Well, Fenric wouldn't feel too bad about "picking it up."
"Beardy, I'll deal with the Thousand-Year Tree Demon first. After that, I'll find a way to get the Black Mountain Demon to open the path from the inside."
"Once that's done, you take me in."