บท 104: Little Demon Empress, Huan Caiyi

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--- Chapter 102 ---

Provocation.

The Little Demon Empress, Huan Caiyi, experienced such a blatant provocation at this very moment. After hearing Duke Ming and his followers rush to the Profound Demon City to chase over Yun Canghai, she hurriedly followed them.

However, never in Huan Caiyi's wildest dream was to witness Duke Ming under someone else's shoe. He was one of the strongest cultivators in Illusory Demon, having a supposedly weaker cultivation realm than her.

That's what everyone in the higher noble circle thought. Huan Caiyi knows well that Duke Ming hasn't made a direct move to overrule the Illusory Demon Realm because of her Golden Crow legacy. A legacy that Duke Ming couldn't get because the Demon Emperor's Seal and Mirror of Samsara disappeared from this continent.

And That Duke Ming lost to someone. To A young man who seemed to be barely 18 at that.

It wasn't an illusion because Huan Caiyi could feel every inch of her body screaming to fight this person. Her blood boiled with an odd excitement for some reason.

'Little girl.' Huan Caiyi thought solemnly. She was older than this young man, but what was this humiliating yet odd feeling in her chest?

Meanwhile, Hayate only observed Huan Caiyi calmly with his golden eyes. He could tell her cultivation is no more than the 6th stage of Sovereign Profound Realm, making her weaker than Chu Yuechan alone. How weird.

'Her body exuded Divine Beast's presence, a pure one... Just like Phoenix.' Hayate becomes more curious for some reason. Even though he was angry, he didn't lose his reasoning. Anger is a good thing when controlled, giving one a boost in everything.

He summoned Koro and told him to bring the fainted Duke Ming somewhere. This place will be a destroyed battlefield in a few seconds because the Little Demon Empress's battle spirit is flowing like a sun right now.

"Hmm?"

"That flame..." Hayate watched a golden flame burst out of Little Demon Empress's body. "One of the three supreme fire attribute beasts, Golden Crow. Another God's inheritance on Blue Polar Star. As expected of Evil God, he made some formidable allies, huh."

Since Hayate inherited Phoenix's bloodline and origin, he assumed his existence triggered Little Demon Empress's Golden Crow legacy. After all, According to Evil God and Dragon God's memories, Golden Crow was known to be prideful.

"Heh, Prideful. What a coincidence."

"Or is it not?" Hayate remembered Luna's expression a few moments ago.

Extreme heat descended from the sky. Hayate quickly kicked the ground and dodged an incoming golden fireball. The nearly empty lake exploded, and the water there evaporated instantly.

BOOM!

Hayate focused his gaze back on the Little Demon Empress and frowned inside. There is something wrong with her body. As Golden Crow's inheritor, she shouldn't be affected that much by using its flame, but even though vague, he could catch her breathing becoming heavier.

"Ssamsu Taekkyeon should be enough." Hayate decided while using floating debris to accelerate himself toward the Little Demon Empress.

Huan Caiyi moved her body instinctively and opened her palm widely. A golden flame rotated and blasted toward Hayate with the highest firepower.

Hayate used his left hand to direct her hand away and launched his right hand to punch her face, which left Little Demon Empress with no choice other than to raise her other hand to guard.

Ssamsu Taekkyeon is a combination of Practical Taekkyeon and Renewal Taekwondo. However, it uses more whole-body techniques and leg with fully integrated arm work.

As Hayate deflected Little Demon Empress's right hand, she didn't have a choice but use her other hand to guard. He used this as a chance by pulling her hand down and rotating his body horizontally.

"This..." Huan Caiyi suddenly was welcomed with a knee from the right of her head. Everything happened so fast.

She also couldn't dodge because Hayate restricted her legs and hand by grabbing them with his legs. She can't evade this knee attack, but that means this young man can't do the same.

With a swift motion, Huan Caiyi ignited her bloodline and flared golden flame from her entire body.

"Shame." The young man commented while striking her face with his knee.

BAM!

The Little Demon Empress was sent flying and crashed to the ground with a shocked look on her face. She slowly reached over her bruised cheek and wondered how Hayate resists her Golden Crow's flame. It shocked Huan Caiyi more than she was getting slapped by a knee.

Huan Caiyi slowly stood up and stared at Hayate with a grave expression. As Duke Ming said, this young man is dangerous, yet his attack is not full of malice for some reason. She could only feel curiosity from those noble golden eyes.

"That hurts..." She mumbled to herself. A drop of tears is running down her eyes. It's weird because Huan Caiyi hasn't cried for one hundred years, knowing her father and husband died because of someone else's scheme.

Even when everyone tries to pressure Huan Caiyu, she never lets emotion cloud her mind. She stayed strong and reigned for one hundred years.

'Does his existence make me lower my guard down?' She stared at Hayate. It was clear that Huan Caiyi had never felt any emotion in the last hundred years, shielding herself from any attempt to weaken herself.

Her father and husband died. Huan Caiyi doesn't need others' sympathy or love but absolute strength to survive in such a situation. She desperately wanted to open Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley to receive Golden Crow's true inheritance.

Still, she needed the Demon Emperor's seal for that. Yes, a seal has long gone with her husband's life in the Profound Sky Continent.

Huan Caiyi wiped her tears away and asked, "Young man, May I know your name?"

"Hayate. Kurogami Hayate." He answered while landing on the ground, causing the Little Demon Empress to nod in appreciation.

Even though Huan Caiyi had never heard of Kurogami's clan and name before, this world is vast and filled with many unknown things. And This young man's existence is one of them.

Huan Caiyi breathed in and out, checking her current physical condition. That last attack was powerful but only bruised her face. She could still fight without any problem, so it didn't matter if Hayate was an enemy or not. She had to fight him.

Hayate approached her like walking in the park and asked, "Are you going to use your Golden Crow's flame again? With that ill body, you shouldn't push yourself too much."

"Not to mention, you're a female... Golden Crow possessed the fiercest Yang Element. Your Yin nature won't be able to control the Golden Crow's flame perfectly, leading to harmful effects on your body."

"At this point, you'll die." He added while staring into her eyes.

Little Demon Empress frowned when hearing this because this young man somehow understood her physical condition. Golden Crow's flame undoubtedly is the most destructive in this world, and the wielder would lose their lifespan slowly because of it. She has suffered a lot, but there is no way back from this.

There is no way back because her weakness would get exposed to the world. Huan Caiyi walked on the thin rope, knowing she could fall anytime soon.

"It doesn't matter to me. I've walked on this narrow path for one hundred years, and stopping it now won't change anything. So what if my life is on the line? Life is short." Huan Caiyi responded while flaring her golden flame even more. She launched herself at Hayate and threw a punch in his face.

"I do it to survive..."

Hayate ducked down and raised his right elbow to receive Little Demon Empress's fist. His leg fished out and waved down to perform a low kick on her heel.

Bam!

Their attacks met, but Huan Caiyi wasn't affected by the low kick. She shrugged that insignificant damage off and advanced by leaping her leg.

Hayate caught Huan Caiyi's leg with his elbow and tried to throw her to the ground. She countered by mimicking his elbow attack before but failed because he kept her in position.

Bam!

He slammed her onto the ground, leaving a wide crack several meters away. Huan Caiyi exploded with a golden flame and struck his stomach with it.

BOOM!

Hayate was sent several meters away and stopped by digging his right leg into the ground. He looked down and saw his fire-resistant coat charred to nothing. Golden Crow's flame is more powerful than he thought.

A power kick was coming toward his face. He tilted his head to the left and used his hand like a spring to push his entire body up.

BAM!

He launched a rising kick and grazed Huan Caiyi's face again. The Little Demon Empress was unhappy with Hayate's counter and waved her hand at him, charging five times more output than usual.

BOOM!

The entire land was caught in golden flame, leaving a young man with refined muscle and tattered pants. Though, no trace of the damage seemed to appear on him.

'Evil God's Fire Seed is an unfair perk.' Hayate wryly smiled while checking his skin.

Huan Caiyi breathed heavily and clenched her fist in frustration because her attack didn't work. "This is the last attack..." She muttered while gathering everything she had. Her profound energy ignited alongside the Golden Crow's flame, rotating rapidly inside her body.

"Sun's Wheel." She approached Hayate quickly and pushed her palm to him.

...

"How? My attack..." Her attack couldn't reach him.

Hayate lowered his entire body and moved at an irrational speed in Huan Caiyi's vision, kneading his leg down. He launched a low, roundhouse, and high kick at the same time.

As his silhouette passed Huan Caiyi, The last thing she could remember was his bored voice.

"Ssamsu Taekkyeon: Nakyoung."