The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

"Demon Race? You mean this place belongs to the Demon Race, not the Yao Race?" Tang Lian looked utterly shocked.

They must have been wandering around the outer perimeter and lost their way, so they never encountered any Demonic Puppets.

Seeing that Tang Lian was there and could handle any danger that arose, Chen Dong plunged headfirst into the Mire.

Upon entering the Mire, Chen Dong was hit by the sheer density of the black fog. It reduced him to a mere mortal; his Divine Sense was completely suppressed, leaving him unable to see, hear, smell, or feel his surroundings.

"Qingzhu, Qingzhu, let's combine!" Chen Dong transmitted his voice to Mu Qingzhu in the Jade Embryo.

"..."

Chen Dong charged about, fumbling blindly through the dark.

"Miss Qingzhu, from now on, your word is law. I'll do whatever you say! That little flower is definitely a great treasure."

In this situation, his only hope was to rely on Mu Qingzhu's Great Divination Art. Otherwise, he'd most likely be stuck wandering in circles forever.

Mu Qingzhu still ignored Chen Dong's offer.

So, Chen Dong promptly cast aside his pride. "Miss Qingzhu, I'm a worthless dog! A beast! A scumbag! A pervert! From now on, you can use this filthy body however you please and curse my wretched soul as you wish. Just please, help me this one time!"

Mu Qingzhu snorted coldly. "Hmph, disgusting! I'm not helping you, lest you accuse me of playing hard to get!"

Chen Dong felt like he'd just shot himself in the foot. It seemed he could only rely on himself now. The only ones who had entered the black fog were him, Li Zhixuan, and that one remaining member of the Demon Race. Chen Dong refused to believe he could be so unlucky as to run right into the demon.

Predictably, the unpredictable happened.

In the pitch-black darkness, a dark claw suddenly lashed out.

There was a phantom SWISH—though in truth, there was no sound at all—and Chen Dong was sent flying. Four gashes, deep enough to reveal bone, were torn across the front of his green robe.

And this was only because he was constantly circulating his Protective True Qi, and because the Mire's black fog had absorbed much of the attack's force. Outside the fog, that one strike would have torn him to shreds.

Chen Dong scrambled back to his feet, warily trying to sense his surroundings, but he couldn't perceive anything even a foot away. It felt as if he'd been completely isolated and exiled from the world.

In such a state, even the smallest seed of fear in Chen Dong's heart was magnified to terrifying proportions.

Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, but Chen Dong couldn't feel them. In the black fog, even his sense of touch was gone.

'Damn it! This Mire isn't small. How could I have run into the demon of all things?'

"Qingzhu, we're going to die!"

"Says who? Don't you have a Transmission Talisman?!"

Chen Dong pulled out the Transmission Talisman, holding it at the ready. Another claw struck. He sensed it a fraction too late; he tried to turn and defend, but he wasn't fast enough. The attack landed on his back, sending him flying once more to crash heavily onto the ground.

He couldn't feel any pain in the black fog, but Chen Dong knew his spine had been gravely injured—it was close to snapping.

Worst of all, he had dropped the Transmission Talisman. In a world made of nothing but dense black fog, there was no telling where it had landed.

Fear flooded Chen Dong's heart, but the corners of his lips curled into a smile. 'Isn't this the very battle between life and death that I've been pursuing?'

'I've always relied on the Transmission Talisman as a safety net, always believed I had a guaranteed escape. As long as I can't stare into the abyss between life and death, how can I ever hope to break through to the Extreme Inner Realm?!'

A low, wicked voice echoed out, "You of the Human Race are truly strange. You're obviously scared to death, yet you're smiling!"

Chen Dong's smile grew even more eerie. 'For this demon to be able to project its voice under these conditions... it must mean its Divine Sense is still working, that it can extend it outside its body. But the range has to be extremely short.'

'Here it comes!' Chen Dong raised his arm, blocking the claw head-on with his elbow. The immense force sent him stumbling backward several steps.

'It's not a spell, just a physical attack with some contained Spiritual Qi. I can still fight.' He realized, 'The demon is also severely weakened in this black fog.'

"Kekeke! To think you actually blocked that. Feeling lucky, are we?"

'Lucky?' Chen Dong thought with a small smirk. 'This isn't luck. It's skill.'

In this black fog, the Martial Dao was far more effective than casting spells. And as it happened, he, Chen Dong, was a master of the Martial Dao. He used his heart to command his intent, and his intent to command his fists. Even with his five senses sealed, his martial intent remained.

'Here it comes again!' The demon attacked, but Chen Dong struck first, raising a hand to block, twisting his wrist into a lock, and stepping in with an elbow strike. He felt no physical impact, but he knew the blow had connected. He tried to press his advantage, but the demon tore itself free.

If the Transmission Talisman hadn't been knocked from his hand, Chen Dong wouldn't have come to this realization so quickly. He was a Martial Artist from Kyushu; martial skill was his very foundation!

For a long moment, a terrifying silence descended upon the black fog. But Chen Dong knew the demon hadn't fled.

"You actually managed to hit me. You're no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, I'll give you that. No wonder you dared to enter the Five Senses Calming Divine Domain! But in the end, Foundation Establishment is just Foundation Establishment. Your spells are sealed away. On what grounds do you think your physical body can compare to one of the Demon Race?!"

Chen Dong's focus sharpened. 'A kick!' He glided backward before shooting forward with a flying knee!

'No good, I missed!' He rolled forward with the momentum and came up with a Parting the Wild Horse's Mane.

'Missed again?' Chen Dong knew the demon was faster than him, and it still had the use of its Divine Sense. Even though he could sense the intent behind its attacks, he was still at a disadvantage.

'A direct attack?' In an instant, Chen Dong understood. The power in its fist was immense—he couldn't take it head-on!

He used Grasp the Sparrow's Tail, sticking to the attack to neutralize and redirect it. He invisibly deflected a thousand pounds with four ounces, then closed the distance and transitioned into an Iron Mountain Lean.

"A mere Foundation Establishment whelp... forcing me into this state!"

Hidden in the black fog, the demon staggered to its feet. It let out a silent, internal roar: "True Demon Transformation!" Its caved-in chest expanded once more. The Scale Armor covering its body flared out, radiating a sinister Demonic Qi.

Chen Dong's brow furrowed. His opponent's intent had changed. An invisible pressure washed over him in an instant.