"There are places so drenched in malice, even demons hesitate to whisper their names. Demonfang's Gate is one such place."
Scene 1 – Into the Land of Death
The barren wastes of Demonfang stretched ahead like a rotted battlefield frozen in time. Jagged rocks jutted from cracked earth, and every gust of wind carried whispers—as if the land itself remembered the blood spilled across countless wars.
Asura's boots struck the earth with slow, deliberate steps.
Each footfall was a statement.
Not of arrogance, but of unyielding resolve.
"We're close," Xian muttered, his fingers twitching over the hilt of his curved glaive. "The air here feels… heavier."
It was more than just air. It was malice made tangible.
Asura's Supreme Martial Eyes flickered open, and what he saw made his chest tighten.
Veins of cursed qi ran like black roots beneath the ground, forming a vast array of binding seals that spanned miles.
"There's something… buried beneath us," he whispered.
Lira stepped beside him, her hand glowing with frost as she pressed it to the soil. Her pupils turned silver.
She froze.
"It's alive," she said slowly. "The seal isn't just to contain it—it's feeding it. The land's hatred is its nourishment."
"A beast that grows from death…" Asura murmured. "And we're walking straight into its mouth."
Scene 2 – The Gate of Bone and Iron
After hours of cautious movement, they reached the outer wall—a colossal gate formed of rusted iron and bone.
Not human bone. Demonic.
The walls were alive. Not in the metaphorical sense—but literally. Faces pressed against the surface, twisted in agony, mouths open in silent screams. Arms occasionally thrashed beneath the surface, only to be dragged back in by unseen forces.
"It's absorbing spirits," Kai muttered. "This is… this is worse than anything I've read."
Asura didn't respond immediately. He walked toward the gate and placed a hand on it.
His aura pulsed outward.
And the gate… shuddered.
Suddenly, a groan like a thousand tortured souls echoed across the land.
The bones rattled.
The sky dimmed.
From the depths of the gate, something stirred.
And then—
A single, enormous eye opened at the center of the wall.
Pitch black, with a spiraling pupil made of blood.
And from beneath the earth, it emerged.
The Guardian.
Scene 3 – The Guardian That Bleeds Nightmares
It towered over them—a twelve-meter tall abomination, stitched together from fallen warriors, beasts, and demonic remnants. Dozens of arms, each holding a weapon once wielded by a king or conqueror. Its body dripped black ichor, and wherever the blood touched the ground, the soil sizzled and screamed.
Its mouth stretched unnaturally wide.
And from it poured words, in a tongue no one should speak:
"𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔟𝔢 𝔪𝔶 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱 𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔤."
Xian drew his weapon.
"We've fought beasts. This… this is a curse wearing skin."
"Then let's strip it down," Asura growled.
He vanished from sight.
Scene 4 – Asura's Dance with the Cursed Guardian
Asura's blade cut through the air, a blur of scarlet flame, aiming for the creature's throat—but the Guardian was fast. One of its blade-arms intercepted, causing a shockwave that fractured the land beneath them.
The Guardian roared, and a thousand souls screamed in unison from its wounds.
"It's feeding on hatred!" Lira cried. "Every hit strengthens it!"
But Asura was already in motion, moving faster.
Heaven's End: Third Motion – Flickering Flame Mirage
His image split into ten, each illusion attacking a different limb.
The Guardian shrieked, flailing, its own blood raining down like acid.
But Asura gritted his teeth.
Not enough. It's regenerating too quickly.
Then the voice of Li Xiantian echoed in his mind:
"Only Celestial Qi can purify Cursed Blood."
"Lira!" Asura shouted. "I need you to combine your divine frost with my flame—create something pure enough to break through its core!"
Lira nodded and raised her arms, her aura exploding into an ethereal blizzard.
Asura's flame surged to meet it.
Fire and frost—opposing forces—merged into a spiral of divine purification.
"NOW!" she screamed.
Asura jumped into the air, blade crackling with white-gold light.
Heaven's End: Ninth Motion – Celestial Dragon's Judgment
The blade descended.
And the Guardian howled—a sound so terrible, the earth below cracked open and released a vortex of imprisoned spirits.
With a final roar, Asura cleaved through the creature's cursed heart.
The Guardian collapsed, melting into nothing but ash.
The gate behind it trembled… then opened.
Scene 5 – The Path to Vraxxion
Behind the gate, a city of darkness unfurled—Demonfang's capital, shrouded in crimson mist and echoing with the sound of distant chanting.
Asura sheathed his sword slowly.
His body ached, his mind screamed—but his eyes remained calm.
"One Guardian down," he muttered. "Nine more remain… and then Vraxxion."
Xian approached, panting, gripping his bloodied arm.
"You okay?"
"Fine," Asura lied. "But this… this is only the beginning."
Lira stood silently beside them, staring at the city beyond.
"Whatever waits in there… it's not just demonic. I felt godly pressure behind that thing."
Asura's gaze narrowed.
"Then let the gods come."
He took the first step through the cursed gate.
End of Chapter 97
Chapter Summary:
Asura and team arrive at the Gate of Demonfang, encountering the Cursed Guardian.
The land is alive with dark energy, fueled by hatred and fallen souls.
A powerful battle ensues, with the Guardian able to regenerate from pain and hatred.
Asura and Lira combine elemental forces to create a Celestial Flame Frost—a rare hybrid capable of purifying cursed energy.
The Guardian is slain with a new Heaven's End motion, and the gate opens, revealing the heart of Demonfang.
Asura now prepares for the nine remaining guardians and the final showdown with Demon King Vraxxion.