Chapter 168: The Complete Demise of the Tengu

"You are going back." Sensing Xiao Kaitian's intention, Bai Kou could not help but feel a surge of anxiety. If anything were to happen to Xiao Kaitian, she would undoubtedly be unable to stand alone against the threat.

"This entity does not belong here. It is too dangerous." Xiao Kaitian was well aware of the Tengu's formidable strength; precisely because of that, he could not simply let it be. Should such a presence ever reach Sea Metropolis, the resulting consequences would be too catastrophic to manage. "Stay here."

"But—" Bai Kou clenched her fists. For the first time, she felt the helpless despair in the face of absolute power.

"It will be fine." Xiao Kaitian stood up, gazing at the devastated battlefield ahead where more than half of the small island had vanished. "I will be back shortly. Wait for me."

With that, his figure flickered and he returned to the battlefield. The ground here was completely shattered, though scattered rocks still jutted out of the water. Choosing a foothold, Xiao Kaitian looked up at the Tengu, who hovered in mid-air like a deity.

The Tengu slowly descended, stopping not far from Xiao Kaitian. Its red eyes stared at its opponent as if looking at a choice meal. "Truly extraordinary. To witness such a massive disparity in strength and still dare to return."

"I believe we share the same sentiment," Xiao Kaitian said, shaking his arms. "To each of us, the other's existence is a thorn in the side that must be eradicated."

"No, no, no," the Tengu chuckled heartily. "Your existence is no thorn in my side."

Xiao Kaitian smiled faintly. "You want my body. It seems your spiritual transplantation techniques are working smoothly."

The Tengu shook its head. "In this world, it is more commonly known as soul snatching or soul transference. However, my method is somewhat different. Rather than devouring and erasing the host's existence, my technique is based on coexistence."

"This is how I can continue to survive indefinitely across numerous living bodies. Look at me now; I am actually a blend of the memories and souls of countless living organisms. It's just that the one who remains in the dominant position is always—and forever—'myself'."

Xiao Kaitian finally understood. The reason techniques like spiritual transplantation were difficult to perform repeatedly was that eliminating the target's consciousness required paying a heavy price. Yet the Tengu had forged a different path by choosing mutual coexistence, thereby drastically reducing resistance.

However, doing so meant that beneath the master personality, countless secondary personalities also existed and needed to be constantly controlled and suppressed. Otherwise, should a secondary personality ever awaken, there would be the grave danger of a backlash.

Yet the Tengu dared to do this, which meant it must possess a near-perfect means of control. The vast universe held infinite wonders; for someone to choose such a parasitic method of survival truly left Xiao Kaitian in awe.

He sensed his own body. His divine source was fine, but his physical vessel could not sustain a prolonged battle. The Tengu's strength surpassed his own. That being the case...

Xiao Kaitian assumed a combat stance. The Tengu opposite him looked somewhat surprised, a look of interest crossing its features. "It seems you are prepared to fight to the bitter end."

"I said before, your existence is too much of a hassle, and I am a man who detests trouble." With those words, his figure blurred as he lunged forward, throwing a punch at the Tengu.

The momentum from his previous acceleration had not yet faded, granting Xiao Kaitian tremendous speed. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on the Tengu's flank. As their fists and palms intersected with a sharp crack, Xiao Kaitian rapidly retreated while the Tengu's form wavered.

"That speed of yours..." A brilliant red light flared around the Tengu, clearly surprised by Xiao Kaitian's sudden surge in velocity. "This is getting more and more interesting."

Tracing a graceful arc through the air that stirred ripples across the water's surface, Xiao Kaitian pushed off the tip of his foot and charged once more. The Tengu's strength outmatched his, and it particularly excelled in arcane arts; he stood no chance in a long-range battle, leaving close-quarters combat as his only potential lifeline.

Yet engaging in such intensely close combat carried considerable risks.

The Tengu let out a shrill laugh and darted forward as well. They collided in mid-air before instantly parting. Like a phantom, Xiao Kaitian flickered again, reappearing directly behind the Tengu.

"An opening." Capitalizing on his superior speed, Xiao Kaitian instantly seized the Tengu's slight lapse in caution, transforming his fist into a palm blade and slashing directly at the back of the Tengu's neck.

"Xiao Kaitian, you've fallen into my trap!" The Tengu's body twisted in an impossible manner, contorting to face Xiao Kaitian head-on, and its hands instantly clamped down on his striking palm.

"I'll take that body of yours!" Clasping Xiao Kaitian's right hand with both arms, crimson light surged frantically toward Xiao Kaitian's arm. "Tengu Swallows the Sun!"

The swirling red light wound its way up Xiao Kaitian's arm, coiling tightly around his entire body. The pale blue light radiating from Xiao Kaitian was instantly swallowed by the crimson glow, his power gradually beginning to wane.

"Hahaha! I knew you would resort to close-quarters combat. I have waited a long time for the chance to trap you." Amidst its cruel laughter, the Tengu wore an expression of wild excitement.

"Is that so? Then I have waited just as long for this very moment." A blazing blue light erupted in Xiao Kaitian's eyes, looking somewhat terrifying in the stormy night. He mobilized his divine source, firmly wrapping it around his primordial spirit and soul. "Divine Source: Spirit Mirror Counter-Shock!"

Centered around the divine source, a cluster of blue light shot out, rushing toward Xiao Kaitian's arm. Upon colliding with the red light, this blue luminescence splintered into fine, delicate threads along the outer surface of the crimson barrier, creeping toward the Tengu.

"What are you—" Caught off guard amidst its exclamation, the Tengu found its head instantly covered by the fine blue threads, which then rapidly spread across its entire body.

Suddenly, the Tengu's body began to tremble violently, and its grip on Xiao Kaitian's hands loosened. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Kaitian leaped far backward.

The tremors wracking the Tengu's body grew increasingly violent. Following closely behind, countless wisps of black vapor billowed from its back. These plumes of dark mist coalesced into the shapes of furious human faces, their jaws unhinged as they bit into the Tengu's flesh.

From afar, Xiao Kaitian spoke slowly, "How is this? These are all the souls you devoured and extinguished. Now that they have been released, you too shall taste the agony of being torn apart and consumed."

"Xiao Kaitian!" The Tengu struggled fiercely against the black vapor, but since these souls originated from within its own body, how could it possibly purge them away? Its physical form was being eroded bit by bit, and the red light steadily faded. "What kind of trick is this?"

Dispelling all remaining energy, Xiao Kaitian appeared remarkably serene. "When you employ such techniques, were you truly unaware of the concept of soul backlash?"

"It is no mere technique. It is simply that while water can float a boat, it can also sink it. Your soul shall forever remain bound to these wandering ghosts, ultimately vanishing from this world."

Amidst the Tengu's distant shrieks of agony, its body shrank within the swirling black mist until the crimson light vanished entirely. Finally, the opposing forces merged and were completely swept away by the wind and rain.

"Even souls from lower dimensions possess their own significance. As arrogant as you are, consumed by your contempt for lower-dimensional existence, you surely never imagined you would perish in this manner."

Xiao Kaitian cast one cold glance backward. After extending his divine source to confirm the Tengu's complete eradication, he turned and hurried toward Bai Kou.