Chapter 332: Even in Death…?

But sometimes, even hope was not enough."Haha found him. I can smell him, he’s close," a hoarse voice echoed through the canyon.

Another chuckled, greedy and amused.

"Good. Just make sure that artifact stays intact. It looks valuable... very valuable."

Yu Zhen listened from the shadows of the cave, his breathing slow and controlled.

Every word scraped against his nerves, but his expression did not break.

’So they’re here.’

He tightened his grip, feeling the weak pulse of the Absolute Order Artifact in his hand.

He wasn’t going to die whimpering in a hole.

He would be lying if he didn’t feel fear but.

If death was coming, then he would meet it head-on.

The moment footsteps crunched closer, Yu Zhen moved.

He burst from the cave like a wounded beast, hurling the Absolute Order Artifact forward. Its sudden glow flared brightly, instantly drawing the demons’ attention.

For a heartbeat, they hesitated.

That was enough.

They may have stronger physiques, but not that overwhelming cultivation gap.

Yu Zhen charged.

With his remaining hand, he raised his sword and slashed at the nearest demon – a Tier Three who now, like him, had been forcibly dragged down to mortality.

Blood already streaked the demon’s face, giving him a feral appearance.

"AHH—!" the demon screamed as a deep gash tore across his chest.

The strike was imperfect, weak by cultivator standards, but it was fueled by something far stronger than simply Qi.

Intent.

Even with his meridians shattered and Qi in chaos, Yu Zhen forced out what little he had left, pouring it into that single slash.

The demon stumbled back, clutching his wound, eyes wide with disbelief.

Yu Zhen didn’t wait.

He turned toward the remaining two.

One of them barely had a face, its features stretched into a living shadow, with only two nightmarish blue eyes glowing in the darkness.

A scythe rested casually in its grip, the blade humming softly.

"Tsk. Pathetic," the scythe-bearing demon muttered. "You got cut by a crippled human."

The third demon stepped forward, its form even more grotesque.

It had two faces.

One was humanoid.

The other twisted, canine, jaws filled with serrated teeth.

"Haha, why don’t you give up, hum—"

The words died mid-sentence.

Yu Zhen lunged again, sword flashing toward the two-faced demon’s throat.

CLACK!

The canine head snapped forward and caught the blade between its teeth.

The sword didn’t break, it was a treasure but Yu Zhen felt the violent shock ripple through his arm.

Before he could react—

SWISH!

The scythe flashed.

Pain exploded.

"UGH—!"

Yu Zhen staggered back as his remaining hand and the sword it held were severed cleanly.

Blood sprayed across the red earth.

He fell to one knee, breath hitching, then forced himself back up, retreating several steps to create distance.

No weapon.

One arm gone.

His vision swam.

Still he did not panic.

He stood there, chest heaving, head raised.

Yu Zhen closed his remaining eye.

And then opened it.

What looked back at them was terrifyingly clear.

"Ha! Look at that expression," the two-faced demon sneered.

"I really want to hear your screams when you die, human."

"You—!" roared the wounded demon with blood on his face, fury twisting his features.

"You think you can kill me?!"

He rushed forward.

Yu Zhen couldn’t dodge in time.

So jumping, a brutal kick slammed into the demon’s abdomen, but the demon grabbed Yu Zhen’s leg with one hand.

The demon snarled and drove his other hand forward.

CRACK.

Yu Zhen’s other eye was gouged out.

"AHHH—!"

The scream tore from his throat, raw and animal.

Pain consumed everything.

Blind.

Bleeding.

Broken.

And yet.

Yu Zhen lunged.

His teeth sank into the demon’s neck.

He bit down with everything he had.

Flesh tore.

Blood flooded his mouth.

The demon shrieked, hammering Yu Zhen with punch after punch until he finally tore himself free and threw Yu Zhen aside.

Yu Zhen rolled, coughing blood, body trembling.

"What a disgusting will to live," the scythe-bearing demon said calmly.

"I like it."

He tilted his head, blue eyes gleaming.

"Tell me, human... why do you struggle so hard to live?"

The battlefield was silent except for ragged breathing.

This was no longer a cultivator’s fight.

This was a slaughter between mortals, stripped of dignity, power, and mercy.

And yet.

Even blind.

Even armless.

Even broken.

Yu Zhen forced himself to stand.

Blood streamed down his face, pooling at his feet.

He faced the demons without sight, without weapons, without retreat.

Still standing.

Still alive.

And still refusing to kneel.

"Who knows," Yu Zhen muttered hoarsely, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He was a cultivator.

Death itself did not frighten him.

What he feared was something far worse, it was not completing his Dao.

And if he died while doing it, so be it.

"You worthless things wouldn’t understand," he continued, his voice calm despite the ruin of his body.

"Those who have nothing... will never know what it means to hold onto something."

The demon with blood smeared across his face sneered, his features twisting into something hideous.

"You will die a very painful death, I can guarantee you that."

"Tsk."

The scythe-bearing demon clicked his tongue, sounding almost disappointed.

"And here I thought we might discuss something philosophical."

"Hehe," the two-headed demon chuckled, both mouths grinning.

"Maybe I should taste what this tenacious human is like."

Yu Zhen straightened slowly, painfully turning toward their voices.

He was young.

He was righteous.

He could not see.

He could not fight.

Yet his spine did not bend.

Even in despair, he would not submit to demons.

Even if his time was short, he would die in a way worthy of his name.

But what Yu Zhen could not see.

Were the expressions on their faces.

Horror.

Pure, unfiltered horror.

Because before the demons’ eyes, space itself began to bleed.

Not metaphorically.

Not symbolically.

Reality tore open.

Thin crimson fissures spread across the air like wounds carved into existence, and from them seeped an ominous, oppressive red glow.

And the demons felt a primal fear.