Chapter 358 - 357: Two Demon Kings

Two massive figures emerged from the dust and collapsing debris, blocking the narrow passage ahead!

Their auras were unmistakably demonic, and neither made any attempt to conceal their true forms. Unlike Sha Luo and her siblings, who could assume human appearances when necessary, these two Demon Kings had abandoned such disguises entirely, relying on their monstrous bodies and powerful demonic constitutions to endure the spatial turbulence.

The figure standing on the left resembled an enormous rhinoceros covered in dark iron armor. Thick, overlapping scales protected its body, each plate bearing a metallic sheen that reflected the dim light filtering through the fractured sky.

A single jagged horn protruded from its snout, radiating violent earth-shattering energy that caused the surrounding rocks to tremble whenever the beast moved. Its blood-red eyes swept across the approaching cultivators, and a low growl escaped its throat.

The creature standing on the right was even more grotesque. It towered nearly twelve feet above the ground, its body composed of bulging, blood-red muscles that seemed to writhe beneath its skin. Its face was little more than a mass of jagged fangs, with no recognizable features beyond the dark openings of its eyes and mouth. Yet the most disturbing sight was not its appearance, but what it held in its massive claws.

Six severed human heads dangled from the Red Demon King’s hands, their blood dripping onto the broken ground beneath them. The heads belonged to cultivators who had clearly been killed only recently, and the expressions frozen upon their faces revealed the terror they had experienced before death.

As the demon casually swung its arms, the severed heads knocked against one another, producing a dull sound that seemed horribly out of place amid the destruction surrounding them.

Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed at the sight, but Ku Ming stopped so abruptly that the golden light around his body flickered. The monk’s gaze had locked onto the severed heads, and for several moments, he remained motionless as though he could not believe what he was seeing.

Then his expression changed, and the serene Buddhist aura that usually surrounded him began to fluctuate violently, its warm golden radiance darkening beneath a surge of anger.

He recognized those faces.

They were ascetic monks from the Western Continent, junior brothers belonging to his own lineage who had entered the Sacred Grounds in search of enlightenment.

Ku Ming remembered their earnest expressions before the expedition, their respectful greetings, and the determination with which they had promised to deepen their understanding of the Buddhist path. Now their lives had ended in this desolate gorge, their heads reduced to trophies in the hands of demons who treated their deaths as entertainment.

"Amitabha Buddha," Ku Ming whispered, his voice trembling. The words emerged slowly, but the rage beneath them was so intense that the skin across his clenched fists began to crack, allowing drops of liquid gold to seep through.

"You foul beasts... You have taken innocent lives and defiled the remains of those who sought only to understand the Dao. Do you possess even the slightest respect for the lives you destroy?"

The Red Demon King tilted its head, seemingly amused by the monk’s reaction. It released a gurgling laugh before tossing the severed heads aside, allowing them to roll across the broken ground, coming to rest in a loose, scattered line against a fallen boulder.

The creature did not appear to understand why the sight had provoked such fury, nor did it care. To the demon, the deaths of human cultivators were little more than a source of amusement during the final moments of a collapsing world.

"More human meat!" the Red Demon King roared, baring its fangs. "The world is ending, and we shall feast on your marrow before the void swallows us! Why should we waste our final moments mourning the dead when there is still fresh flesh waiting to be devoured?"

Ku Ming’s Buddhist aura surged, and the Indestructible Karmic Wheel behind his head began spinning at a terrifying speed, its golden light carving sharp, rotating shadows across the shattered ground. For an instant, Lin Yuan thought the monk might abandon all caution and attack immediately, but another tremor shook the gorge, reminding them that their surroundings were still on the verge of collapse.

Then, a massive spatial fissure had appeared directly above the pass, and its jagged edges were expanding rapidly, threatening to swallow the entire region within minutes.

"The area is about to collapse," Lin Yuan said coldly, bringing Ku Ming’s attention back to the immediate danger. His eyes moved between the two Demon Kings, assessing their auras and the positions of the surrounding spatial fractures. "We do not have time to waste here. We will end this quickly, and then we will continue toward the central plaza."

The Rhino Demon King let out a contemptuous roar before lowering its massive head. Its iron-plated body surged forward, and the ground beneath its feet shattered under the force of its charge. The beast’s physical momentum distorted the surrounding gravity, creating a powerful pressure wave that swept through the gorge and sent loose rocks flying in every direction.

Judging from the strength of its charge, an ordinary Soul Transformation cultivator would have struggled to withstand the impact without suffering serious injuries.

"Arrogant human!" the Rhino Demon King bellowed, its jagged horn aimed directly at Lin Yuan’s chest. "I will crush your bones and use your skull as a stepping stone!"

Lin Yuan did not retreat.

His True Elemental Body circulated instantly, drawing upon the combined strength of the Five Great Secret Realms. The Vermilion Bird released a surge of vitality through his body, while the Qilin reinforced his bones and muscles until they possessed a density that ordinary cultivators could scarcely comprehend.

His physical strength rose sharply, and the spiritual Qi within his body converged toward his arms, reinforcing his grip as he prepared to meet the charging demon head-on, his boots digging firm, unmoving grooves into the cracked stone beneath him.

The two collided.

BOOM!